


Three In A Bed

by brokendrums



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-23
Updated: 2012-10-23
Packaged: 2017-11-16 21:59:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/544281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokendrums/pseuds/brokendrums
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall somehow finds himself in a relationship with Harry and Nick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Three In A Bed

**Author's Note:**

> I started this a while ago as pure indulgent fic - it hasn't turned out the way I had originally planned and it's probably far too long but it was starting to annoy me so I decided to post it so I can hopefully clear my head. (Anon, I hope you aren't too disappointed - also hello :) )

Harry introduces them formally one night. They had been at a tiny pub having a few drinks and Niall still isn't exactly sure how they all ended up in Harry's swanky new house or who half the people sitting in the living room are. He figures it’s Harry’s problem so he had just headed to the kitchen to raid the freezer until he found a half full bottle of vodka. 

Nick arrives late, long after he's finished his radio show and is already a little buzzed. Niall doesn't even notice he's in the house until Harry is dragging him across his cluttered living room and into the kitchen to meet him. They both look pretty drunk and Harry's doing that doe eyed flirty thing that he does sometimes when they break into the mini bar on tour and there's no one except the other four of them to drunkenly flirt with. 

Niall's usually immune to it - used to seeing it played out (and maybe there was that one time in New York where he fell for it and things went a little further than a platonic cuddle but they haven't spoke about it since so Niall isn't sure if it actually happened or if it was just a very vivid figment of his imagination). But he can see that Nick is totally charmed by it. He laughs, hand going up to shove his hair up from where it's failing to stay in it's quiff but it flops down a moment later. Niall kind of likes it that way though, like hands have been raked through it until it's a mess. His other hand is holding a glass half full of murky golden liquid and it sloshes over the brim when he swings his arm over Harry's shoulders and pulls him in to nuzzle at the skin behind his ear. 

"This is Nick," Harry grins at Niall as if Niall had been living under a rock the past few months and had somehow missed Harry going on and _on_ about him. 

"I know," Niall laughs and Nick is smiling at him shyly from where his face is still half buried in Harry's shoulder. Harry merely waggles his eyebrows in a way that Niall is too drunk to interpret correctly so he just grins at him instead, nodding along as if he understood. 

Nick seems to be loose lipped when he's drunk because when he finally pulls away from Harry (after an inappropriate time nuzzling each other in the presence of company) he says with a tiny smile. 

"Niall I think you look very innocent,” he pauses to take a breath and Niall’s mouth is already turning into a grin at the prospect of what Nick is going to drunkenly announce. “But I think you'd be bonkers in bed." 

Harry laughs, loud enough that Louis who was loitering around in the doorway pokes his head through to see what's going on and Niall flushes all the way down his neck. That hadn’t been on the list of things he was expecting. 

“Bonkers?” Niall repeats and Nick grins, eyes flicking slowly up and down Niall’s frame as if he‘s committing everything to memory. He feels suddenly self conscious but Harry is smiling at him fondly and pulling at Nick’s neck to keep him close.

“Yeah,“ Nick giggles. “And I’d quite like the chance to find out.“ He slaps his hand up to his mouth when he realises what he's said but he doesn‘t really look too embarrassed. His drink is dripping down his wrist and he doesn't seem to care. Niall watches it run down his skin to seep into his sleeve and he really _really_ wants to lick it off. 

Harry apparently does too because he's already bending at the waist to lap over Nick's skin and onto his palm. They look great together and Niall has to mentally kick himself because he promised months ago to stop pining silently after his best friend. Adding his sort-of-not-really-boyfriend into the mix isn’t going to help anything. 

Nick laughs again but it seems more forced than before and Niall can nearly feel the change in atmosphere in the room as if it had happened physically. Harry pulls back, eyes a bit more focused on Nick’s face before they dart quickly away. His expression shifts as it dawns on him what he’s just done and he spins on his heel quickly to busy himself making another drink, fingers fumbling over the lid of the bottle making it clack loudly against the rim of the glass.

Nick stands behind him, eyes on the back of Harry's neck and through the fuzz the vodka’s made of his head Niall realises that he doesn’t feel out of place, just the niggling urge to know what’s going on between them. 

Nick clears his throat suddenly, draining what's left in his glass and setting it very precisely on the countertop beside Harry. Harry pauses, lid half way screwed on until Nick is pulling back and righting himself in the middle of the kitchen. 

"I must be off," he grins at Niall and then at Harry when he finally turns around again. Niall would have to be blind to miss the disappointment crossing Harry's face but Nick only frowns at him. There’s a beat of silence between them all and Niall hovers uncertainly between them, too curious to see what they will do to leave them. Nick lurches forward before pausing, as if thinking it over in his head. He leans forward to press his lips against Harry's and Niall can visibly see Harry relax under him, hand coming up to cup at Nick's jaw before Nick's pulling away. 

Niall opens his mouth to say goodbye but Nick's right in front of him, kissing him quickly and licking along his bottom lip. Niall doesn't know what to do for a moment but thinks 'fuck it' and kisses him back. He tastes like tequila and his lips are soft and slippery. There's a glint in his eye when he pulls back, before he's edging through the door into the living room with one last glance over at Harry. 

Niall's stunned and that usually doesn't happen much but Harry just giggles as if he can't believe it either and pulls him in to replace Nick as his drunken cuddle partner. He downs the drink he’s just made and sways dangerously against Niall. 

“Bed,” he whispers, voice dropping low and lips turning down. His eyes have been glassy from the drink all night but there’s a possibility that there’s going to be actual tears so Niall finishes his drink and walks Harry through the still chatting crowd towards the stairs. 

Harry drags him into his bed as soon as they reach his room. Niall thinks of protesting for a moment but Harry is sighing like he’s trying very hard not to break down so Niall sinks in beside him, running his fingers through Harry’s hair as he curls around him until they both fall asleep. 

*

A few days later Niall gets a text asking him how he takes his tea. He stares at it for a moment, pausing in the milk aisle of Tesco as he re-reads it. His stomach is already sinking, hoping that somehow his number hasn’t gotten leaked _again_ and he’s going to get a million voice mails from crying fourteen year olds who just want him to love them back. He’s about to delete the message when another arrives.

_this is Nick by the way, I found your number in H‘s phone. I hope you don’t mind x_

That makes him nearly drop his milk but he manages to get it into the basket before he causes any major scenes. He’s confused for a moment before mentally shrugging to himself. What’s the harm in answering his question?

_2 sugars, milky_

He debates sticking an x on the end, he normally doesn’t do that but his stomach hasn’t fluttered like this in months and he can’t help the little thrill it gives him so he does it anyway and hits send before he loses his nerve. 

He’s bought his shopping and long out the door before he receives his reply. 

_Favourite colour? x_

Niall actually laughs. He has no idea what’s going on but he decides to play along. 

_green.. You kno you could probably jus google this?x_

He’s home, groceries packed away in the cupboards and dinner in his belly before he gets the next reply. 

_but this is more fun!_

Harry slips in through his door just as he’s about to reply and he drops his phone down the side of the sofa. Even though Harry’s got a big new house the other end of London, Niall knows that he hates being in it on his own all the time. 

He sinks into the cushions on the end of the sofa, pulling Niall’s feet into his lap in the process. 

“Hey,” Niall finally speaks, turning his head lazily around to look at him before scooting down the sofa so his feet are more comfortably draped over Harry’s knees. Harry smiles at him, his hand a familiar weight across his shins. He doesn’t say anything, just keeps his hand there and rubs a circle with the pad of his thumb into the dip of his ankle bone. 

“What do you think of Nick?” Harry asks quietly during the break to Grand Designs. Niall has no idea why they’re watching but he can’t be bothered getting up to get the remote off the windowsil. Niall’s heart picks up just at the mention of his name and he’s dimly aware of how pathetic he is. 

“What about him?” Niall asks trying to remain calm enough that Harry won’t suspect anything. He isn’t sure if he should tell Harry that he’s been texting him, he still isn’t sure what the deal is between them or if he knows that Nick has his number. 

Harry looks stumped for a moment, floundering over a response. He won’t meet Niall’s eye and his grip on his ankle is getting tight. 

“I really like him,” Harry mutters, blush flaming over his face in a way that makes him look very pretty. Niall stares at him for a moment cataloguing the way his cheeks pink up and how his eyelashes beat and flutter when he blinks. 

“I know you do,” Niall responds slowly, swallowing his own _So do I._ Niall pushes that thought to the back of his mind, Harry got to him first and all Niall has got is a silly little crush that will _never_ go anywhere. He’s chalked it up to a misplacement of his feelings for Harry and he sort of hopes he’ll get over it soon. “He likes you too.” 

“Do you think people would mind?” Harry asks very quietly. Niall shrugs because he honestly doesn’t know. There’s probably a legion of fans out there who would have a whole list of reasons for not liking Harry with Nick, but they’re going to hate whoever Harry dates. 

“Do you even care if they do?” Niall asks because Harry normally doesn’t really give a fuck. He falls sideways, smirking slightly until he can wiggle up the sofa and lie alongside Niall. His head is nestled up into Niall’s armpit and he grins into Niall’s ribcage. 

“Not really,” he shrugs and jostles Niall in the process. Niall snorts, reaching across to play with Harry’s hair the way he knows he likes it. His phone buzzes between them and the cushions and he knows instantly who it is. It sends a pulse of guilt straight through his gut and makes no move to read it. Harry hardly notices, cuddling closer and turning his attention back to Kevin McCloud on the TV. 

*

Nick catches his eye across the crowded backstage area at V Festival and Niall actually shivers. He hasn’t seen Harry in a few days or really spoken to him but he’s been texting Nick randomly all weekend and had known that he would be there. He drains his cup, setting it onto the cluttered table and tries to focus on the conversation going on around him but from the corner of his eye he can see Nick get closer and closer until he’s edging into their group and he can‘t concentrate. 

He watches as Nick slips up to them, smiling and working his way around the group until his arm is pressed up against Niall’s and he’s grinning down at him. 

“Shouldn’t you be at work?” Niall asks him with a smirk. 

Nick shrugs. “Got a few minutes between interviews,” he fiddles with one of the many bracelets adorning his wrist before peering not so subtly over Niall’s shoulder to see if anyone’s watching them. He grabs Niall’s wrist so Niall assumes there’s no one looking and lets Nick pull him off the picnic bench he’s sitting on and drag him through the crowd, down a makeshift corridor and into the grassy dressing room area. 

“Perks of the job,” Nick laughs when Niall raises an eyebrow, ushering him into his dressing room which is just a rickety port-a-cabin and pressing him quickly up against the door. He kisses him there and then, a hard press of lips and sweep of his tongue over Niall’s bottom lip, pulling back for the briefest of moments before pressing against him again. Niall can’t help but grip at Nick’s hips, meeting him half way on instinct. Nick has one hand in Niall’s hair and the other a firm pressure at the base of his spine, pulling him closer so there’s no space between them except layers of denim.

Niall’s lying to himself if he says he hasn’t thought about this. Nick’s a good looking guy and he oozes charm. Niall tries to sink into the kiss but every time he thinks about Nick, he’s reminded of Harry. 

“What about Harry?” Niall pulls away with a shake of his head because he can’t do this. He can’t help Harry’s sort-of-not-boyfriend-I-actually-don’t-know-what-you-are cheat on him. He tells Nick as much, hands waving about in explanation. 

“There’s nothing going on between me and Harry,” Nick tells him, breathing that bit more shallowly and Niall screws his face up in confusion. 

“What?” He asks because he’s listened to Harry pine after Nick for so long and then spent the next few months basically making fun of him for it. Nick’s frowning now too, one hand still cupped around Niall’s hip but the other running through his own hair nervously. 

“I thought -” Niall cuts off because maybe he’s made a huge mistake and said something he shouldn’t have. Nick nudges him to continue, hand still a searing heat on his hip. Niall doesn’t know where to put his hands so they hang awkwardly at his sides. “I thought that you two were together,” he finally forces out, watching the creases around Nick’s eyes deepen and his mouth twist. 

“No,” Nick sighs. “We’ve - “ he waves the hand that was in his hair a moment ago around in the air and Niall catches on, nodding his head to make him stop gesturing. “But we’re not together.”

“Oh,” Niall breathes out, blinking for a moment. He thinks back and supposes that Harry hasn’t really said that they had officially got together but he’s gone on about him for so long that he assumed. 

Nick nods, eyes dropping down to glance at Niall’s lips before going back up to his eyes. Niall can hear his breath hitching and it feels nice that he has that affect on him. They stand like that for another few moments and he can nearly pin point the moment where Nick freaks out, stepping back and taking a deep breath. Niall already misses the weight of his hand against his skin.

“This wasn’t a very good idea was it?” Nick asks, a hint of anxiety edging into his voice. He’s got both hands in his hair now and Niall knows from experience that there’s no way he’s going to be able to make his quiff presentable enough to record TV. 

“Probably not,” Niall sighs, finally able to stand away from the door. Nick nearly takes a step back to keep the same amount of distance between them and Niall winces. “We’ll forget this happened then shall we?” 

Nick nods, face still a mixture of shock and embarrassment. Niall hates himself because he still thinks he looks cute and he’d quite like to stride across the tiny dressing room and kiss the breath out of him.

“I think that might be for the best,” Nick nods again even though Niall can tell by the tone of his voice Nick isn’t sure if that’s what he wants either. 

Niall takes a deep breath and Nick looks up at the sound, eyes wide like he hadn’t expected Niall to still be in the room. 

“I’ll just go then,” Niall points his thumb over his shoulder to the door and backs himself towards it. He catches one last glimpse of Nick’s confused expression before he’s out the door and heading back towards the bar as quick as he can. 

*

“Is this Get Really Drunk and Annoy Harry Day or something?” Harry asks when he finds Niall stooped over in his doorstep. He has one hand in the huge flower pot by the window and the other one on the ground trying to steady himself. He looks up at Harry and nearly keels over from laughter. 

“Jesus,” Harry mutters to himself, grabbing Niall’s elbow and pulling him into the house. Niall slides against him and holds his soily hand out in front of him. He finds out what Harry means a moment later because Nick is curled on the end of his sofa, bottle of beer in his hand but a rather ill expression on his face. 

Niall groans at the sight of him, he should’ve known better but if he’s completely honest with himself he has no idea how he got to Harry’s house in the first place so he just turns to Harry - who doesn’t look very amused - and holds out his hand again. 

Harry tuts, dragging him by the elbow again towards the kitchen so he can get him under the tap. 

“What were you doing anyway?” Harry asks him squirting a glob of Fairy Liquid onto his palm and forcing it under the water. Niall winces at the heat of it but lets Harry soap up his hand as if he was a child anyway. 

“Looking for a spare key,” he tells him, leaning heavily into his side again because his head is swimming and he feels sleepy. He can vaguely remember a conversation with Tulisa and Caroline ordering a round of drinks but after that it‘s all a bit of a blur. “I want to go to bed.” 

“And what’s wrong with your own bed?” Harry asks him, rinsing their hands under the tap and trailing him across the room to where his tea towels are hanging on the wall. 

“You’re not in it,” Niall tells him with a long sigh, because that should be obvious. Niall giggles when Harry dries in between his fingers because it tickles and sees Harry’s lips finally turn up into a smile at the sound. 

“Why do you want me in it?” Harry asks him quietly, fingers fumbling as he dries his own hands and replaces the towel on the hook. He looks up and Niall is still impossibly close to him that he can feel Harry’s breath fan over his face. Alcohol thrums through his veins and it gives him the confidence he needs to press that inch closer. 

“I don’t think I need to answer that,” Niall says lowly, pressing forward to close the space between them so he can kiss him. Harry doesn’t respond at first but Niall doesn’t notice, licking across his lips and running a damp hand into his hair. There’s a few beats where Niall panics he won’t kiss back but Harry is suddenly surging forward, fisting his hands in Niall’s shirt and forcefully meeting him in a kiss. Niall backs up until he feels the sharp edge of the kitchen table behind him and he lets Harry kiss him down onto it, a hand curling in his hair and the other coming down to slap against the wood. 

There’s a cough from the doorway and Harry stands up straight leaving Niall panting on the table top. His legs are falling off either side of the corner but Harry doesn‘t move out of the way so he lifts a foot to hook it around Harry‘s hip. He misses the weight over him but when he rolls his head to look at the door his stomach flips over itself because Nick is standing there, eyes wide and staring at them. He had forgotten that Nick had been there and it sends a thrill up Niall’s spine that he saw them together. 

“I should probably go,” Nick murmurs but looks like that’s the _last_ thing he wants to do. 

“No,” Harry shakes his head, hair flying wild and his voice is already low and turned to gravel. Niall gasps in a breath watching as Nick stumbles the few steps across the room to kiss him and it’s hotter than anything Niall has ever seen before. 

“Oh God,” he breathes out, finally sitting up on the table top. He pushes his hand onto Harry’s shoulder and watches as he melts against it, Nick going pliant with him and following his lips. 

“Bed.” Harry croaks, reaching around to grip one of Niall’s wrists while the other is somewhere under Nick’s jumper, clawing up his back. 

They stumble and stagger down the hall, stopping once on the stairs for Harry to press Nick against the banister and kiss down the column of his neck.

“Get a move on,” Niall urges against the back of Harry’s neck. He feels the shiver ripple through him and it’s like his skin is on fire by the time they finally make it up to Harry’s bedroom. Harry’s shedding his clothes quicker than Niall’s seen him before and then he’s reaching across, grabbing the end of Niall’s belt and undoing it roughly. Niall gasps as fingertips finally brush against his skin, lips falling at the corner of his mouth once before they land properly this time and Harry kisses the breath out of him. 

There’s a hand on his back, pushing the material of his shirt up and over his head, Harry pulling apart to get Niall completely naked and then two sets of hands are pushing him down onto the bed. Niall has to fight to keep his breath but he sinks into it, gasping as nails rake down his chest and lips skitter across his hips. 

His head is swimming from the beer and it feels like he’s always a step behind, catching up. It’s dizzying and already feels like it’s too much but he doesn’t want it to stop, he never wants it to stop. He melts into the pillows, fingers grasping and clenching around the sheets as Harry licks up over his hips and nibbles at his thighs and Nick kisses him long and slow. 

*

It's nearly dawn when Nick wanders out into Harry's back garden and finds Niall lying spread out in the middle of Harry‘s lawn. The grass needs cut badly and the stalks curve up around him until there‘s a Niall shaped hollow in the green. Everything is a dewy grey, the sun just beginning to rise but Niall can still see the moon hanging low in the sky, a crisp white between clouds. 

The grass is damp against his back but Niall doesn’t care, it’s cool on his neck and that’s what he had needed. He felt too hot in Harry’s bed, nearly suffocated by hot skin and tangling legs. He still feels drunk, an unwelcome light headedness now that he’s had an hours sleep. 

Nick towers over him for a moment before he sinks down onto the lawn with him, making a Nick shaped dent of his own. "I brought you tea," Nick says with a timid smile. 

Niall looks over at him, sitting cross legged beside him. He has two mugs resting on each of his knees and the steam rising from them is obvious in the cool morning air. Niall hauls himself up, arranging his knees in front of him so he can face Nick but has the option to bury his face into them if need be.

The mug has a chip in the rim and Niall runs his fingertips over it before bringing it to his lips and taking a sip. It’s only now that it’s in his hand does he realise how cold it is outside. 

“Thanks,” Niall whispers and he sees Nick relax a little, bringing his own mug to his lips. 

“Are you ok?” Nick asks him a few moments later, half his own cup of tea drank in the silence between them. Niall takes a moment to think about it, he’s sore and his head is a mess but he nods all the same, watching the swirl of the tea and listening to the birds chirp around them. Over Nick’s head he can see a light switch on upstairs and he knows that Harry’s woken up to find them gone. It’s only a matter of time before he finds them. 

“Am I intruding on something?” Nick asks quietly a moment later. He runs a hand through his hair and Niall tries not to think of doing the exact same thing an hour ago. Nick’s nearly inaudible when he continues. “If I am, I’m really sorry.” 

Niall frowns into his mug. He really wants to bury his face into his knees again so he doesn’t have to look at him but the tone of Nick’s voice makes him sit still. 

“What are you talking about?” Niall asks, voice not going louder than Nick had. “It’s me that’s intruding. Harry’s mad about you.” 

It’s Nick’s turn to frown and he takes a moment to drain his mug, dropping it carelessly into the long grass beside him.

“I wasn’t sure,” he murmurs and sighs long and quiet. “Sometimes Harry is so much more comfortable with you. I just assumed - “ He trails off and the silence seems so loud to Niall. 

Niall shakes his head because as much as he would love it to be true, he and Harry have never really had anything special. “He really likes you.” 

Nick’s quiet for a moment and Niall watches him fidget with the seam of his jeans before he rolls his eyes at himself. “I’m not very good with the commitment side of things, it’s a bit - scary. I don‘t want to ruin anything.” 

“I’m sure Harry will understand,” Niall whispers trying to catch up with the change in conversation. It feels odd to be speaking with Nick about this when they’ve all just had sex together. He wishes he was as drunk as he was before, his words might come a bit quicker that way. 

Nick’s silent as he turns to look at Niall properly, scrutinising him through squinted eyes. 

“Why are you out here?“ he asks suddenly with a concerned frown. 

Niall shrugs and looks up at the brightening sky. “Just needed a bit of air. To think.“ 

“About tonight? Was it not good?” Nick asks suddenly worried. Niall flushes a little but notices his easy steering of the conversation away from him and Harry again. Niall thinks for a moment, dipping his head down so he can’t see Nick anymore. He feels Nick’s hands on him, warm and moving him until he can rest his head against the crest of his shoulder. The gesture is so comforting and unexpected that it takes a moment for Niall to catch his breath. 

“It was - “ Niall sinks into Nick’s embrace and tries to think of a word. “Overwhelming.” 

“Mmm,” Nick hums in agreement. He has a hand resting on the base of Niall’s neck and it’s a comforting weight on his skin. He strokes his thumb over his skin until Niall’s breathing evens out and he thinks he could probably fall asleep like this if he wasn‘t so aware of how cold it is outside. "There's no need for it to be though," Nick continues a few moments later, his fingers are still scratching into the nape of his neck but his voice has dropped down low just for him. "It's just a bit of fun isn't it? As long as you had fun." 

Niall nods against him, because he did have fun and he's getting way ahead of himself if he's thinking about how it could lead to anything more serious. Nick falls into silence again and Niall doesn’t really know what to say either so he stays there, quietly breathing in Nick’s faded aftershave until there’s muted footsteps behind them. 

“Everything alright?” Harry’s voice sounds out. It’s probably too loud for his neighbours at this time of the morning. When he lifts his head he’s standing at the top of the garden, thick jumper pulled on over his chest but just a pair of boxers on. He hesitates at the start of the lawn and frowns over at them, one foot slightly raised as if he‘s going to walk over and join them. Nick peers over his shoulder before turning back to Niall and giving him a shy smile. 

“Yeah,” Niall plasters a grin onto his face even though his brain is all muddled over what’s going on between them all and he has no idea what he feels anymore.

“Course,” Nick calls and snaps at one of the bracelets on his arm. 

“We’re going to be late,” Harry reminds them but the frown on his face shows that he doesn‘t believe them. Niall’s heart drops at the reminder that they have a full day of promo in front of them - most of which involves Nick. Nick gives his shoulder another reassuring squeeze before he scrambles to his feet and slopes down the lawn towards Harry. Harry gives him a small smile, tentative and sweet which makes Niall’s stomach pull so much he feels physically sick. The pair of them slip back into Harry’s house and Niall is left to trail in after them feeling more than sorry for himself. 

*

Niall has a mouthful of grapes the next time he sees Nick. He slips into the dressing room just as Zayn takes the lead in the competition to see how many grapes he can fit into his mouth. Niall's losing because he can't stop laughing at Zayn's bulged out cheeks. Nick smiles at him, sort of fondly but also with an air of 'what the fuck are you doing?' which nearly makes Niall choke. He bites down, letting the grapes finally burst and swallows loudly before he can speak.

"Hey Nick," he flashes him a grin because the tactic he’s decided to go with is ignorance. So what if he just had a threesome with Nick and Harry less than twelve hours ago? It doesn’t have to change anything between them and as much as he wants it to Niall isn’t stupid, he knows it’ll never happen. 

He reaches for the box of grapes in Zayn's lap, pulling a few off the stalk and ignoring the way Harry is glancing over at him, Harry seems to be going with the ignorance plan as well because he hasn‘t mentioned anything about it all day in fact if anything he had been avoiding him. "Wanna join? Record is currently 16."

Harry fist pumps, he's always proud when he beats the boys at something. Nick laughs but Louis is already spinning in the chair near the mirror to grin slowly at Harry. 

"You got a big mouth love?" He asks sweetly, picking a few grapes off the stalk in his own carton of fruit. 

"And no gag reflex," Harry waggles his eyebrows. Nick nearly chokes and Liam groans, grabbing a grape out of Louis' hand and pelting it across the room at him. Harry laughs loudly, dodging the grape and getting to his feet to greet Nick properly. It hits Zayn on the side of the head and quickly the whole room devolves into a chaos of flying fruit but Niall stays sitting cross legged on the sofa, watching as Nick and Harry hug tightly. He wants to get up and join them but doesn’t know how to do so without any awkward questions from the other lads so he stays still, watching the expanse of skin of Harry’s stomach when he reaches an arm up to hug.

Zayn smooshes a grape far too close to his eye and he snaps out of it. Nick is saying something to Harry who looks like he wants to go all doe eyed and gooey again before Liam is dragging them further into the room to join in. 

They get shouted at and Nick pretends he wasn't involved but gets pulled out of their dressing room as punishment anyway. Harry gets that pout on his face like someone kicked his puppy and sinks into the corner of the sofa beside Louis - who laughs and mock whispers 'pathetic' but hugs him anyway. He glances over at Niall for a final time and throws him a small smile that is somehow intimate in a way that Niall can’t explain. It sends a jolt of warmth through Niall’s veins and he can’t pretend that it didn’t happen anymore because he wants it to happen again. 

*

Niall manages to avoid both Nick and Harry for a few days. He hangs around London with Josh and a few friends from Ireland, sticking solely away from anywhere he knows that Harry could easily turn up. 

It's harder not to hear about them though. His twitter feed is full of stuff about Harry; paparazzi photos of him running about Primrose Hill with Nick without a care in the world and sightings of him eating ice cream and buying antiques. Niall pretends it doesn't make him jealous and tells himself that he _definitely_ doesn't want to hang out with them again but he knows that’s not the truth - he would go out with them in a heartbeat. Sometimes he’ll get flashes of them, looming over him and pressing wet kisses into his skin. They make him shiver and Niall fights the urge to just phone Harry up and get him to come over. 

It's harder to avoid them when he's a few drinks in and they both arrive at Liam's birthday party. Nick catches his eye across the room and Niall’s already on his feet, moving away from Liam’s table and the loud group they’re with. He had seen Harry already, hugging Liam tight and wishing him happy birthday but Nick had loitered by the bar not wanting to get involved with them. 

“Long time no see,” Nick greets him and he pulls him into a hug before he can chicken out. He smells of sweat and Jager and the expensive aftershave that Harry keeps in his glove compartment but doesn’t really like anymore. 

“Hi,” Niall says shyly, it’s much too loud in the bar but Nick grins anyway and gives him a quick peck on the cheek while he’s still close. Niall feels his cheeks flame and he glances around because he knows that some girls have gotten into the party and there’s plenty of cameras floating about. 

“I’ve been thinking about you,” Nick confesses like it’s a secret and Niall leans in closer until Nick’s lips brush against his ear when he speaks and he can feel his body heat through the leather jacket he’s wearing. “And that night. I can’t get you out of my head.” 

Niall feels a thick thrum of heat rush through his body and he sways slightly, darting in quickly to steal another kiss from him. Nick looks pleased with himself as he downs his drink and slides off the stool to stand on the sticky tiles. 

“I know Harry thinks about you too,” he keeps going. Niall lets his eyes flutter shut at the thought and he hopes to God that the people crowding around them to get a drink can’t hear a word that Nick is saying to him. “Sometimes he moans your name in bed.” 

“Fuck.” Niall murmurs, pecking at Nick’s lips again and letting his hand squeeze between Nick and the wood of the bar to get a handful of his hip. 

“Speak of the devil,” he grins over Niall’s shoulder and suddenly there’s a familiar body pressed up against him, his arm slipping round to hug him with a palm splayed across his chest. They can get away with it, no one would wonder why Harry and Niall are all over each other but Nick is pressing in tight too and Niall is finding it hard to think straight and maintain a normal expression. 

“You've been avoiding me,” Harry tells him, its more of a statement than a question. “I missed you.” 

His breath smells of tequila when Niall turns his head to see his face. Harry looks down at him and he knows that glint in his eye, he’s seen it before. It’s normally followed by removal of clothes and searing kisses. 

“Bathroom?” Niall finds himself asking. It comes out hopeful and if he was a little more sober he would probably be embarrassed at how easy it makes him sound. Nick grins, pushing his hand down Niall’s hip so he can give him a quick grope. 

“Wonderful idea,” he grins and spins on his heel, shuffling past a few people to get to the bathrooms. Niall leans back against Harry for a moment, catching his breath and trying to get his brain to catch up to the fact that this is actually happening. Harry chuckles lowly in his ear before he’s pushing him forward, walking him through the dance floor until they can get to the toilets. 

It’s thankfully empty and Harry crowds him into the stall at the end of the row, Nick's already in there and waiting impatiently. He’s on him as soon as Harry can manoeuvre the door shut and get his fingers on the button of Niall’s jeans. 

“This is crazy,” Niall murmurs. The thump of the music is pounding behind his ears along with the rush of his blood but it’s muffled in the quiet of the bathroom. Harry grins at him, sinking to his knees and Niall groans at just the sight of it. Nick is standing awkwardly over the rim of the toilet and as soon as he meets Niall’s eyes he launches across the tiny stall and kisses him hard. Harry’s other hand comes up suddenly to pull at the waistband of Nick’s trousers.

“Harry,” Nick sighs into Niall’s mouth, thumbing his own fly open and shoving his jeans down to his knees so Harry can get a hand around him. 

Niall has a quick moment of panic that they’re only using him as some sort of toy in their sex lives but Harry is sucking him into his mouth and his mind sort of goes blank, solely focused on Harry’s lips stretched around him and how good it feels. Nick kisses him again, sloppily this time but Niall takes all that he can get, licking into him and following his mouth when he tries to pull away.

Nick groans into his mouth as Niall and Harry’s hands meet around him, stroking him together as he cants his hips forward. Niall is dimly aware of the music around him getting much louder as the door to the bathroom opens and somebody stumbles in. He tries to be quiet but Harry is hollowing his cheeks and twisting him with his hand and his vision is going fuzzy. He has to stop kissing Nick because he can’t focus on doing everything at once but Nick doesn’t seem to mind as he leans into him, breathing hotly against his neck before he’s coming over Niall’s fingers. 

Niall can’t help it and with a warning tug to Harry’s hair he’s spilling into his mouth too. Harry groans, swallowing down and working his hand into his own jeans to finish himself off. He looks wrecked, pitching his head forward to lean against Niall’s thigh and groaning into him, biting at denim when he comes a few moments later.

Niall’s still breathing harshly when Harry gets to his feet again. He has a goofy grin on his face when he leans in and kisses him sweetly. Niall can taste himself on his tongue and it makes him whimper. The door opens again and it’s loud for a long moment before it swings shut and they’re left with the dull beat of Katy Perry and their own breathing. 

“Try not to avoid me this long again,” Harry warns him, reaching behind himself to unlatch the door. Niall grins at him, squeezing out the door and stealing one last kiss from him before Harry shakes out his hair and checks himself in the cracked mirror above the sinks. 

“I’ll try,” he smiles, running his hands under the tap. Nick grins at him brightly, kissing his forehead before he’s slipping out the door after Harry and Niall’s left alone to catch his breath properly. 

*

Niall buys Harry a trampoline for his new house because he has more money than sense and it gives him an excuse to go round to his house on their day off. Harry laughs at him but throws him a knowing smile and they get started on building it together. It takes a while because neither of them are particularly good at building things but as soon as it's standing Niall crawls onto it and gives it a testing bounce. 

“So I think me and Nick are actually in a relationship,” Harry muses from where he’s lying on the grass watching Niall bounce into the air. Niall’s stomach nearly falls out when he lands awkwardly, stumbling across the trampoline before he manages to correct himself and bounce properly again. 

Harry raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything and Niall tries not to blush with embarrassment. Harry’s eyes narrow and he looks suddenly nervous that he’s talking to Niall about this, they still haven’t spoken about Niall’s involvement in their relationship because so far, it’s been a strictly drunken experience every time 

“I don’t think he’s seeing anyone else.” 

“Oh?” Niall asks and spins in the air so he doesn‘t have to look at Harry‘s stupidly hopeful face for a brief moment. Everything is a blur of blue and green and the brown of Harry’s fence before he’s back facing the house again and he can blink Harry into focus. He’s standing up now, leaning against the metal frame of the trampoline and squinting up at him. Niall slows his bounces and beckons him on. 

“And I’m not seeing anyone else,” Harry tells him unnecessarily when he’s climbed onto the trampoline and gave it an experimental bounce. Niall bounces with him, both of them flying into the air at the same time. “Well - “ Harry pauses and laughs slightly breathlessly once. “Unless you count?” 

Niall blushes again and stares at the guttering on Harry’s house instead of at him wondering when he last blushed so much in his life. “No I don’t think I count. We never do anything when Nick’s not there. We never go on dates,” Niall pauses to take a breath and swallowing down the regret in his voice. “You and Grimmy go on dates.” 

Harry nods, bouncing closer to Niall so he can link their hands together and their bounces become more coordinated. 

“But are they dates?” Harry asks frowning with concern and squeezing his fingers. 

“Yeah,” Niall shrugs and squeezes back. He tries not to bask in the feel of their hands together. “Granted some of them are a bit fucked up, like you going to sit under his desk while he’s on the radio or rolling about in a public park but I would say they’re dates.” 

Harry laughs happily and bounces them higher. 

“Do you think I should say to him?” Harry asks a few moments later and Niall sighs. He could've predicted this question coming. “Ask him out properly?” 

“I dunno mate, I think it’s obvious to everyone and their mother that there’s something going on between you two.“ Harry laughs and something catches the corner of Niall’s eye. Niall grins as Nick appears at the side gate looking a mix of amused and disbelieving that they’re actually on a trampoline. “Hello!” 

"Hey," Nick shields his eyes from the sun and walks up the little path in the grass Harry and Niall had created with their feet earlier. Harry slows down, bouncing off to the side and holds out a hand for Nick to come join them but Nick declines, slapping his palm and leaning up against the metal. Harry falls to his knees with a grin as Niall slows to a stop behind him and watches them. They just stare at each other for a moment before Harry leans over the springs so he can kiss Nick on the mouth. Niall feels uncomfortable for a moment, like he shouldn’t really be watching - but at the same time he can’t tear his eyes away from them. 

Nick pulls back and smiles fondly at him, eyes flicking up to smile at Niall too.

“I can’t believe you actually got a trampoline,” Nick mutters making Harry laugh. There’s suddenly a hand on Niall’s ankles and Harry is tipping him over so he falls down beside him. Nick grins at him, suddenly tiptoeing up to kiss Niall too. 

Niall’s breath catches in his throat and he glances over at Harry to see his reaction but he’s just looking at them with a small smile. 

“Lunch?” he asks as if his nearly boyfriend hadn’t just kissed Niall in front of him. Nick agrees, already extending his arm to help Harry off the trampoline. He reaches out his other arm towards Niall who just stares at it for a moment before accepting it and letting himself be tugged down off the trampoline. The grass is damp below his feet but it hardly registers in his mind because Nick’s still got a firm grip on his fingers, intertwining them as they walk back across the lawn towards the house. 

Niall’s more confused than ever. 

*

Harry arrives at his door just after eleven a few days later. He hadn’t been planning on doing much with his evening, probably just catch up with whatever football he had missed over the weekend but Harry walks straight past him and into his living room with an expectant look on his face. 

“What’s up?” Niall asks him and scratches idly behind his ear. He had seen him this morning when all three of them went to get breakfast and had to escape out the kitchen so they didn’t get papped together. 

“Get dressed, we’re going out.” Harry tells him, plopping down onto the sofa and turning the football off. 

“Where to?” Niall asks him and Harry launches up again as if he’s too hyped up to sit still. 

“Come on,” he mumbles, grabbing his hand and walking through the flat to Niall’s bedroom. He wrenches open his wardrobe and hunts around for something suitable for him to wear. 

“Alright,” Niall snaps and Harry grins at him, thrusting a shirt that Niall’s pretty sure belongs to Harry anyway into his hand. “I can dress myself. Where are we going?” 

“Out.” Harry tells him, lying back on Niall’s bed and wrecking his covers. He rolls to his side and watches Niall get dressed. He would get self conscious but Harry’s seen everything and more where Niall’s concerned by now. 

Out turns out to be the Radio One buildings and Niall nearly rolls his eyes when Harry pulls into the back car park and they sneak in the backdoor. 

“Why are we here?” Niall asks and ruffles the back of his hair. He hadn’t known he would be seeing Nick and he feels the inexplicable urge to make sure he looks good. He glances in a shiny window and Harry laughs at him, reaching back to drag him into a lift. 

“We’re going out with Nick,” Harry tells him simply. “Thought we’d go do karaoke.” 

Niall pulls a face. Karaoke really isn’t his thing. Harry sniggers again, bouncing on his feet while he waits for the lift doors to open again. They slip into the studio quietly. Through the glass he can see Nick talking into a mic and Harry pushes a finger up to his lips to tell Niall to be quiet when they pull the door open carefully. Nick looks over his shoulder, nearly faltering mid sentence because his grin is so wide. Niall feels oddly excited, the sneaking about is making the blood thump around his body faster.

“Again Harry?” Matt asks with a small sigh like he can predict how much trouble they’re all going to get up to. 

“I’ll be good tonight,” Harry tells him solemnly. “Promise.” 

Harry goes over to Nick immediately poking him in the side and pressing up against his back. Nick laughs suddenly, making most of his team in the room groan and Harry’s smile turns smug. He falls back, going back over to where Niall’s standing and sliding onto the floor at his feet. He reaches up and pulls Niall down beside him. 

“Webcam can’t catch you here,” Harry tells him quietly, like it’s a secret and Niall leans closer because it’s quiet and intimate even in a room full of people. 

“You two,” Nick suddenly appears in front of them and glares down at them except he can’t stop the smile cracking his face. “I thought I told you never to come here again.” He kicks Harry gently in the shin and Harry pouts at him. 

“I thought you’d want to see our pretty faces before we go for a drink,” Harry shrugs nonchalantly and bumps his shoulder with Niall. 

“I’m as confused as you are mate,” Niall smiles when Nick turns to zero in on him. Nick laughs and shakes his head sharing a significant smile with Harry. 

“Ok, I’ve got two more songs and we can go,” Nick sighs fondly and walks backwards towards his computer again. It’s as if he doesn’t want turn away from them. Niall beams at him and he can near see his eyelids flutter all the way across the room. 

It takes them nearly half an hour to make it out of the Radio One studios because Harry has somehow made friends with _everyone_ who works there and they all have to stop and have a chat.

They go to a tiny pub a few streets away and slip in unrecognised, it‘s nearly empty and Niall wonders why on earth they‘ve ducked into the dive. Harry bundles Niall into a booth and crowds in beside him.

“I thought we were going to karaoke?” Niall asks looking around for any signs of a stage. It looks like they’ve entered an old mans pub with dim lighting and far too expensive beer. Harry’s starting to act weird again, jittery and he keeps glancing between Niall and Nick and looking like he wants to burst into a fit of the giggles. 

“We will,” Harry nods and Nick laughs quietly, shrugging off his coat and reaching for his wallet. 

“I’ll get drinks,” he mutters and slides off to the bar. Harry turns to him and bites at his bottom lip. 

“Harry,” Niall sighs. “What’s this all about?” 

He shakes his head, throwing a glance over his shoulder for any signs of Nick and looking back at him with a jumpy expression. "It feels weird without you," Harry blurts out a moment later, looking over his shoulder again. He reaches across the booth to grip at Niall’s hand under the table. 

"Without me?" Niall asks quietly. Someone puts a song on the juke box and it’s all a bit surreal as Wham! blasts over the speakers. Nick’s still gone even though the bar isn’t even that busy so it shouldn’t have taken him that long to get a round. 

“Yeah,” Harry breathes out. Niall suddenly gets the impression that they shouldn’t be talking about this in such a public place. Harry runs his nail over a groove in the old wooden table and takes a deep breath. “Me and Nick feel weird without you.” 

“Without me?” Niall asks again because he doesn’t really understand what Harry’s going on about. 

Harry laughs nervously down at his knee so Niall grabs his hand again, their arms stretch out between them, resting on the old worn velvet of the seat. 

“It feels like we’re missing something,” Harry rephrases, glancing up nervously and biting his lip again. “We’re missing you,” he corrects himself and his shoulders suddenly deflate now that he’s got it off his chest. 

Niall’s heart stutters and it takes him a moment to put two and two together. Harry peers up at him and he looks so adorably bashful and hopeful that Niall actually believes that Harry is being serious. 

"And Nick feels the same?" Niall asks, just with a hint of shyness because if he's wrong he's going to look like a complete idiot. 

Harry sniggers, pulling Niall an inch closer. "Will you to be our boyfriend?" 

Harry can’t keep a straight face at how cheesy he sounds but it sends a thrill down Niall's spine anyway. He's already pulling Harry in close, falling back into the corner of the booth where he’s sure that no one can see him so he can kiss him.

He can feel Harry’s smile as he kisses him and he’s sure that he probably looks silly because his grin is so wide too. He pulls back just long enough for Harry to gasp a breath and he can murmur into Harry's lips. "Where did he go? Get him over here now." 

Harry laughs against his chin, shaking his head once and blinking up at Niall. “Are you sure about this?” He asks quietly and Niall’s nodding before he’s even finished asking his question. He has no idea how it’s going to work really but he doesn’t care, all he cares about right now is kissing them, kissing them both and watching them kiss each other. 

“Yeah,” he breathes out and Harry looks elated. Pushing his lips onto Niall’s again. “If you are. Is Nick definitely sure?” 

Harry chuckles, cradling his jaw and kissing him slowly. It surprises Niall how tender it is and he melts into it, kissing him back just as sweet. 

"What if he was joking?" Niall asks when they break apart again because part of him can’t quite believe it. He sends a glance around the bar again, he can‘t see Nick, in fact he can‘t see anybody at all. "It's a bit mad, he hardly knows me. And you and him have been doing this whole thing." He waves his hand about manically but Harry just grins wider, grabbing his hand out of the air and pulling it down onto the worn fabric between their thighs. His thumb sweeps reassuringly across his knuckles and Niall feels instantly calmer. 

"He wasn't joking," Harry tells him, eyes twinkling in the dim light of the bar. Niall doubts him for a moment because it still sounds like some cruel trick they could be playing. “Grimmy wouldn’t joke about something like this.” 

“Joke about what? You told him?” Nick asks with a pout when he catches on. He sets down three bottles of beer and slides into the booth beside Harry shaking his head. “I wanted to be there and you told him while I was away putting on George Michael? So impatient Harry.” 

“Sorry,” Harry laughs sheepishly, turning on the seat and gripping his bicep. “I spent all day trying not to tell him and I couldn’t keep it in any longer.” He reaches for a beer and takes a long pull of it before he lounges back into the back of the booth, fingers hooked loosely around the neck of the bottle and now looking completely relaxed. 

Nick tuts before he peers around Harry’s chest to look over at Niall who is now feeling desperately nervous. 

“I’m assuming you said yes?” He asks shyly. 

“Yeah,” he nods, leaning past Harry so he catch Nick’s eye. He's fucking blushing. Niall's never felt more like a fourteen year old in love in his life before but Nick is just giving him this tender look that is making him squirm in his seat. 

“Great," he grins, taking a breath and reaching for a beer of his own. Niall watches mesmerised as Nick tips his head back a little, his throat swallowing and eyes never leaving Niall's face. His eyes crinkling as he squints to keep his eye on him. 

"Yeah," Niall nods because Nick's smiling now, eyes flicking between him and Harry - who has a rather mischievous grin on his face. 

"Brilliant." Harry announces, slamming his beer down onto the table and grabbing Nick into a half hug. Nick leans into him and Niall finds himself doing the exact same on Harry’s other side until he’s snuggled in close and he’s nearly face to face with Nick. 

“Hey,” he says softly. “You up for this?” 

Niall’s stomach squirms. This is it, the last chance he can to get out of it but he finds himself nodding, grin slowly forming on his face. 

“Yeah,” his voice is like a whisper and Nick laughs, pushing forward to kiss him quickly. Niall doesn’t want to stop kissing him even though he knows that he should because anyone could peek into their booth and catch them. Harry laughs above them and slides a hand into Niall’s hair, stroking at his scalp softly. 

“Alright alright,” he mutters quietly. The juke box stops and Niall’s suddenly worried their conversation will be heard over the general hum of the bar. “We might want to move this somewhere more private if it’s going to get a bit more physical.”

“Yes please,” Niall finds himself saying. Nick beams at him before twisting his neck to look up at Harry. 

“What do you say?” Nick asks with a knowing smile. He leans back and pulls on his coat again. “Ditch karaoke and head straight home.” 

Harry snorts, draining his beer. “Like you have to ask.” 

*

Man vs. Food is on the TV when Nick stumbles into the living room. Niall is curled into one end of the sofa, arm slung around his knees and every time something delicious appears on the screen he sort of makes an aborted moan. Harry is chugging water out of a pint glass looking fresh faced whereas Niall knows he looks exactly how he feels - hungover as fuck. 

They had finally made it out to a night of karaoke and Niall is regretting entering a relationship with two people are oddly obsessed with it. 

"And how are you feeling today?" Nick asks. Niall glances up at him and scowls at Nick's smug expression. 

"Isn't this supposed to be the other way round?" Niall asks, blinking rapidly to make the room stop spinning. There's a rough edge to his voice because he's hardly spoken all morning and he may or may not have been acquainted with the toilet bowl first thing this morning. "Aren't they supposed to get worse as you get older?" 

"I now have the wisdom to know when to stop," Nick tells him wisely but Harry snorts before he's even finished so it doesn't have the effect it should have. Niall groans and lets his eyes shut, he can't see Nick anymore but the brightness of the room is no longer a problem. 

"Don't pout," Nick chastises, leaning over to run his thumb over Niall's bottom lip. Niall takes the opportunity to suck it into his mouth and run his tongue over it. He opens his eyes just as Nick's breath hitches at the unexpected gesture. Niall is already reaching for the hem of his shirt to tug him onto his knees beside him on the couch. Even though they’ve been officially trying this out for a few weeks it still feels weirdly new every time Niall gets to kiss him. Niall pulls him closer, kissing him deeper and trying to coax a moan out of Nick. 

"Hey," Harry whines from behind them. Niall can hear the clink of the glass as he puts it down on the table and the shuffle of his feet before he appears over Nick's shoulder. "Stop leaving me out when you do this." 

Niall can't help but grin against Nick's lips, kissing him once more before Nick lets out a half groan, pressing his lips to Niall's forehead before rolling away just as Harry sinks into the cushions beside him. 

"I have to go. Big meeting and then promo all day," Nick complains. "I don't know how you two do it." 

Niall huffs a laugh into the side of Nick's neck before sliding down so his head is in his lap and he can watch the TV again. He's trying to decide if all the food is making his stomach pang in hunger or giving him the urge to vomit. From the corner of his eye he can see Harry's hand move up to smooth across Nick's collar, straightening it out from where Niall had ruffled it. 

"We can give you tips," Harry murmurs before pressing his lips against the edge of Nick's jaw. There's a hand in Niall's hair but he can't tell who it belongs to, he simply lets his eyes close and pushes his skull further into the long fingers scratching the ruffled mop of his hair near the top. 

"No thank you," Nick murmurs. "I've interviewed you lot before - you're all terrible at it." 

Niall laughs properly this time, curling more into Nick's lap and forgetting all about the TV in the background as he nuzzles into his jeans. 

"No we aren't," Harry tries to sound offended, his hand skirting up Nick's face until he can poke at his hair and get it looking a bit more presentable. Nick pulls a face that makes Niall laugh harder and tries to dodge his hand. 

"Right," he sighs dramatically pulling out of Harry's grip all while trying to push Niall out of his lap as gently as possible. "I better be off before you mother hen me some more." 

Harry just smiles at him in response, shuffling over so Niall can use his lap as a pillow instead. 

"Have a good day at work dear," Harry deadpans as Nick grabs his keys out of the dish in the middle of the coffee table. He flips him off but there's a hint of a smile and he can't leave the flat without kissing them both messily on the cheek anyway.

"You two look too good together," he complains again, still hovering over them both, his face an equal distance between them. Harry leans in further to nose along his hair line and Niall rather likes the picture they make too. "It's not fair that you're going to be together while you're away from me." 

Harry grunts. "Don't say that. I'll miss you more than anything." 

Nick grins at him, pressing a final kiss against his lips, fingertips dipping down to cup at Niall's chin before he's pushing off the sofa again and finally slipping out the front door. 

Niall watches Harry stare at the door for a long moment before he turns back to look down at Niall. There's a serious glint in his eye along with the mixture of sad amusement. He takes a deep breath, squaring his shoulders even though Niall's still lying in his lap. 

"What is it?" Niall finally breaks the long silence feeling uneasy and he worries for a moment about what Harry is going to say. 

"I think we should have a few rules," he tells him quietly after a moment of deliberation. Niall's stomach sinks and it takes him a few moments to pull himself out of Harry's lap and position himself so he can look into Harry's eyes properly. His head is banging and Harry’s stern expression is making his stomach worse. 

"What type of rules?" Niall can't hide the dread in his voice and Harry's face softens. He covers Niall's hands with his own, flipping them over so their palms press together. 

"Nothing crazy," he tells him. "Just maybe cool it down a little. I don't know how I feel about leaving Nick out so much while we're away." 

Niall swallows with a dry throat and waits for Harry to continue. 

"It's just that I want to keep everything equal, I don't want to leave anybody out," Harry stutters out, eyes darting around but his hands remain pressed against Niall's. 

"O-ok," Niall breathes out because it's not as bad as he was thinking but it still stings. He can't imagine going completely back to how it was before all this with Harry. Harry looks a little relieved, reaching out to pull Niall into a hug. 

"It won't be too bad, I promise," Harry sighs into his ear, pecking his cheek before pulling him into a cuddle and turning his attention back to the TV. “You’ll hardly notice.” 

*

It is noticeable though. It feels like he’s going cold turkey and Niall already hates it. Harry is being an absolute _arse_ and he can tell he's already missing Nick from where he's squashed into the chair beside him and steadily ignoring Niall any time he tries to initiate any cuddling to make up for it. He's got a stubborn scowl on his face that is getting steadily worse every time Louis makes a joke at his expense. 

"Missing your boyfriend?" He taunts, slipping into the seat in front. Eleanor smacks his arm but doesn't say anything else as she settles into her own chair. 

"Fuck up Lou," Harry murmurs darkly, casting a glance over at Niall before snapping his gaze back to the seat in front of him. 

"Oooh touchy Harry," Louis continues. "Your separation anxiety must be really bad today."

Niall reaches over to grab his hand but Harry dodges it, glaring at him and curling into his blanket with an annoyed pout. Niall sighs loudly, making the point clear and settles back into his own chair without another glance over at him. 

It's a few hours later and a couple of thousand feet in the air when Niall's nearly asleep that Harry slides the divider between their chairs up and shuffles closer to him to share his blanket. 

"I would've done this before anyway wouldn't I?" Harry asks him but it sounds like he's mostly asking himself. Niall smiles anyway, snuggling into Harry's body heat and letting his fingertips skate gently over Harry's waist in thanks. 

“This is definitely strictly platonic,” Niall agrees quietly nosing his way along Harry’s jaw. Harry wavers a moment, leaning closer to Niall for a split second before he shakes his head and turns his head so Niall can’t meet his lips. 

“Spoil sport,” Niall whispers pulling him closer all the same. 

Niall thinks that Harry's finally tired of his own rules when he pulls him into a hug as soon as they're through passport control but his hopes are dashed when Harry receives a long message from Nick telling him how much he misses them both. 

It tightens his resolve and Harry tells him in no uncertain terms that he has to stay in his own bed tonight. 

"But -" Niall tries to argue. Harry just glares at him harder, pressing at his shoulder to get him to stay on the corridor side of Harry's hotel room doorway. 

"We agreed Niall." Harry tells him sternly before breaking off into a yawn because jetlag is getting to all of them already. Niall shoulders deflate when he sees the determination shining in Harry's eyes. 

"Fine," Niall darts in to steal a final kiss against Harry's mouth before he can protest and slinks back to his room across the hall with a pout. 

The next few days continue in the same way with Niall dancing around the rules as much as he can risk. The closest they get to breaking them is when Harry has him pressed him up against a pillar in the dressing room of the Staples Centre during a break from rehearsal. Harry had stared at his lips for a long minute, licking his own, before groaning to himself and pulling back. 

It's not until Niall wrangles the key card to Harry's room off the concierge behind the desk just after two am that Niall finally gets his way. She's a pretty blonde who obviously knows who he is and her nervous giggles bounce around the empty foyer when Niall smiles back at her in the dim. It's nearly too easy but ten minutes later Niall is letting himself into Harry's room.

The lamp's off, which actually surprises Niall because normally Harry is up at all hours, especially if he's nervous about something - which Niall knows he is. The awards are the next day and Niall knows that Harry will be bundle of nerves already. The impressive hotel room is the exact opposite of his own so he follows the wall around the corner into the sleeping area of the room. There's no tell tale lump in the middle of the bed and Niall pauses in the centre of the room. He doesn't think Harry would have went out this late? 

There's a faint splashing sound and Niall kicks off his shoes on his way towards the bathroom door, pulling it open so there's a chink of golden light across the carpet. The room is hazy with steam and smells of lavender. It's warm and in the middle of the room Harry is curled up in the impressive bath tub. 

"You're taking a bath?" Niall can't help blurt out. Harry's head whips up, wide eyes softening when he realises it's just Niall. 

"Yeah," he sighs out relaxing again, he has one of his legs bent up and his chin is resting on his knee. He swivels his head so his cheek rests against it instead and looks over at Niall with sad looking eyes. 

"Nervous?" Niall asks as he throws his shirt into the corner of the room and goes for his belt buckle. Harry watches him lazily, finally not protesting seeing him alone which makes Niall thrum with happiness. He strips off faster. 

"Yes," Harry sighs out. Niall grins down at his toes because Harry didn't even bother to lie to him. "I can't sleep. Mum said I should take a bath. I feel very girly." 

"You are very girly." Niall retorts because it's sort of true. Harry sticks out his tongue, shuffling back in the tub as Niall goes to climb in. The water is hot against his feet and when he sinks into it he can't help letting out a small sigh. Harry smirks but doesn't laugh at him for it. The tub is big enough for the two of them, Harry's legs falling wide to bracket Niall in between them on the opposite side. Niall settles back against the cool porcelain and watches Harry frown down at the bubbly water. 

"You know you have nothing to worry about right?" Niall tells him reaching below the water to grab an ankle. They've all been through this a million times and Niall still never knows the right things to say to Harry when he's starting to freak out like this. Harry nods, one hand fidgeting with the chrome bath rack that's attached to the rim of the tub and the other disappearing under the water. 

Niall skids forward, the water sloshing dangerously high around them, until the tops of his thighs are pressed tight against the bottom of Harry's. It's much harder for Harry to dodge his gaze this close but he makes a valiant effort, eyes darting to meet Niall's and then up to the ceiling before dropping down to watch his pruning fingertips slip over the lids of the complementary shampoo. Niall finds Harry's hand under the water and pulls it out, pressing his lips to the slippery skin before clutching it to his chest. 

Harry lets out a shuddery breath, finally leaning forward so they're nearly pressed together and Niall can brush their lips together. 

"Do you know how much I've wanted to do that for the past few days?" Harry breathes out after kissing him properly.

"Yes," Niall grins and licks at Harry's bottom lip. "You have much better will power than me." 

Harry huffs out a laugh, lifting a hand to slide into Niall's damp hair where it's curling up slightly at the back. "I was being _loyal_. Unlike some." 

Niall scoffs, pulling him closer by the shoulder to kiss him properly, ignoring the way water splashes over the side. Harry's basically in his lap now, pressed against him as he deepens the kiss with a wanting whine.

"Bed," Harry gasps against Niall's jaw, hands scrambling up his back to pull him closer. Niall's legs are beginning to cramp from the awkward position but Harry is already hauling himself up, dripping down over him as he pulls at Niall's fingers for him to follow. 

They stumble through the door and into the darkness of his hotel room, only the LA skyline providing just enough light that they don‘t crash into anything. Niall lets Harry press him into the mattress, lets him work out his frustration by biting down his chest and across his stomach and ignores the way he groans Nick's name when he comes. 

*

It's long past their wake up time when Niall blinks his eyes open. Harry's a warm weight curled around him and the early sun is hot against his eyelids. The duvet is tangled around his ankles because it's already so warm in the room and the sheets are still damp against his shoulder because they went to bed soaking wet. 

"Harry," Zayn gives the perfunctionary first knock on the door before he barges right in. "Paul's gonna freak if you aren't already in the shower, we're already late for -"

He cuts short and gapes down at them. Niall stares up at him in shock for a moment before he sits up straight, dislodging Harry and snatches the duvet up over them. It's nothing Zayn hasn't seen before but he's never seen them quite like this - naked and spread across messy sheets. 

"What the fuck?" Zayn just asks, eyes still wide and mouth hanging open. Harry blinks up at him for a moment before he casually runs a hand through his messy mop of hair. He's still reclined back against the pillows not giving a shit that Zayn has just caught them. He runs his knuckles over the base of Niall's spine, fingertips drifting lower. Niall's already tense and it makes his squirm slightly. Harry lets out a bark of happy laughter behind him but Niall's eyes are just glued on Zayn, watching as his expression twists and eyes grow wider.

"Harry!" He squawks and actually takes a step back. "Can you not do that please." 

"Do what?" Harry asks and Niall can tell he's smirking without looking over his shoulder. He still has the duvet clutched to his chest and he's trying very hard not to react to the pads of Harry's fingertips as he brushes them down the curve of his arse. 

"Whatever it is you're doing there," he waves his hand around in the air before rolling his eyes. Niall would find it funny if his heart wasn't thudding hard in his ribs at the realisation they've been caught. 

"Harry have you seen my -" Louis announces his presence and swings around the corner with a grin that only widens when he sees them. Niall groans into the covers, hiding his face into his knees. "Oh well, isn't this interesting. What's going on here then?" 

"Can we have this conversation when everyone's dressed please?" Niall asks, his words muffled into his knees. 

"Yes," Zayn answers emphatically at the same time Louis says "No." 

Harry laughs again. "Later lads," he suggests, his palm sweeping up to squeeze reassuringly around Niall's hip before he rolls off the bed and strolls casually towards the bathroom. Niall turns his head to the side, watching him disappear through the door and leaving it ajar before he glances up at a very smug Louis and still slightly traumatised looking Zayn. 

"Later," Louis raises his eyebrows at him and somehow makes it sound like a threat. Zayn gives Niall once last glance over before he's marching Louis out of the room.

Niall doesn't get much time to prepare a story because 'later' is apparently fifteen minutes, after he's managed to wolf down a bacon sandwich and they're pushed into a car to go to the venue for sound check. Harry still looks at complete ease with the situation and Liam seems to be filled in because he keeps opening and closing his mouth like a fish when he looks between them. 

"So when did this little arrangement strike up then?" Louis gets straight to it, not seeming to care that Paul and their driver is also in the car. 

Niall flushes just at that and knows that he's going to get thoroughly interrogated. Louis can never let a thing lie when there's potential to take the piss out of someone. Harry's sitting opposite him and flicks his eye line over at Niall for a moment before he shrugs. 

"A couple of weeks," Harry murmurs, kicking at Niall's ankle and smirking in Louis' direction. 

"But what about Grimmy?" Liam finally asks. "I thought that was a done deal, you haven't hung out with anyone _other_ than him in ages." 

Harry finally looks a little nervous. He ducks his head and ruffles his hair, clearing his throat awkwardly. 

Louis' jaw drops for a moment and Niall's stomach sinks. Louis can really read Harry like a book. 

"Oooh kinky," Louis laughs, it's manic and Niall can nearly see the wheels turning in his head of all the embarrassing hints he can drop in interviews from now on. He turns to Niall and sounds a little proud. "Niall I never knew you had it in you." 

Niall buries his face into his knees again with a groan, bending over in his seat so far that the belt cuts into his shoulder. Harry's hand immediately lands on his other shoulder, thumb pushing under the collar of his t-shirt to rub soothingly at his skin. 

"Oh my god," Zayn breathes out as he finally catches on. Louis laughs hysterically again, clapping his hand down onto Harry's back. 

"Really?" Liam asks when Niall sits up properly, he's doing the mouth opening thing again, looking between them before sitting back into his seat and staring at Niall as if he's seeing him for the first time. Niall can feel his blush deepen and he has the childish urge to bury his face into the crook of Harry's neck or for the ground to swallow him up. 

"So," Harry shrugs sending Niall a warm smile. "Now you all know." 

"Too right we know," Zayn tries to sound annoyed but his eyes are still warm. "I don't know if I'll ever get that image out of my head, it's seared onto my eyelids forever." 

"Straight into your wank bank eh?" Harry cackles, already dodging away from Zayn's hands as he launches himself across Louis to pull on his hair. Niall watches Harry get sucked into a tangle of limbs as Louis joins in too. He laughs, the tension in his neck easing along with the feeling of dread in his stomach. It could've gone a lot better but he's glad that none of them freaked out too much. Beside him Liam relaxes against him, dropping his head onto Niall's shoulder and giving his arm a friendly squeeze. Niall grins over at him, melting against his arm as Harry cries out loudly because Louis is twisting at one of his nipples. 

*

“Congratulations my little popstars,” Nick sings as he answers the door to them. “Late as usual but I suppose you’re allowed to do it now that you’re both mega famous?“ 

Niall grins at him, stepping over the threshold and into his outstretched arms. Harry joins into the hug too, snuggling between them and kissing up Nick’s throat until he can kiss him properly on the mouth. 

“Yeah, we're divas now.” Niall agrees, brushing up against Nick and inhaling in the scent of garlic and chilli on his shirt. 

“Next time we go to America,” Harry announces and Niall rolls his eyes because he’s heard this in the car the whole way across London to Nicks place. “We’re taking you with us.” 

“Oh really?” Nick asks finally stepping away from them and letting the door swing shut. He heads towards the kitchen where he had been making a start on dinner and the other two trail after him. 

“Yes,” Harry nods. “We missed you too much, it got so lonely.” 

Nick snorts and spins around to meet his gaze by the sink. “You got lonely? You and Niall? I’m sure you were both very lonely and mopey together.” 

Niall laughs and slides onto the counter beside Nick. He kicks his heels and they hit off the wood. “Very,” he nods solemnly lifting a stick of carrot and biting off a chunk. “Harry had rules and everything.” 

Nick raises an eyebrow at him as he lifts his knife and goes back to chopping mushrooms. “I’m sure they were all broken?” 

“Most definitely,” Niall nods as Harry shakes his head innocently. 

“We were very good,” he tries to tell him with a straight face. He doesn’t manage it though and cracks into laughter as Nick flicks the stove on. “Most of the time anyway.” 

“I’m very jealous,” Nick grins. “I had a very boring week, sitting and pining over you being on the TV.” 

“I’m sure,” Harry nods but doesn’t sound like he believes him at all.

Niall grins, reaching out to pull Nick into his side even though he’s busy throwing garlic into a pan. It feels nice to be back with him. Nick seems to be revelling in it too - he can hardly keep his hands off them as he tries to cook them dinner. 

They move into the living room ten minutes later, plates of pasta on their laps and X Factor paused ready and waiting on the TV. 

“It’s a work in progress,” Nick tells Harry when he winces into a still half raw piece of broccoli, elbowing him in the ribs to make him stop pulling a face. Niall snorts, picking politely through the edible bits of the meal and trying to pay attention to what Louis Walsh is saying on the TV. 

“Fine,” Nick finally gives up when something crack between his teeth and he pushes his bowl onto the coffee table . Niall sighs in relief, sliding his bowl down beside his.

“Can we order pizza?” He asks turning sideways on the sofa so he can push his feet under Nick’s thigh. Nick rolls his eyes but his hand lands on his ankle, thumbing over the bone rhythmically while he thinks. Harry’s already pulling out his phone to order. 

“It’s ok,” he says flicking through his contacts. He slides closer to Nick once his hand is free of a bowl and pats his thigh consolingly. “You’ll have better luck next time.” 

“I can try again tomorrow,” Nick agrees pulling out his phone to tweet something X Factor related as Harry brings his phone to his ear. Niall grins at them, feeling more pleased than he has in a long time. 

*

"Happy birthday to you," Nick croons down the phone. There's a bit of a static and Niall has no idea where they are. Music is loud around him but muffled, like they're maybe in the bathrooms of a club. Nick giggles and Niall feels a pang of want. As much as he wanted to be at home for his birthday he would quite like to be with them right now - high off Nick's last night on the radio and shitfaced in a club somewhere in London. 

Niall rolls over into the pillow beside him. His bed feels massive without two other people clawing for space in it. He can spread himself out like a starfish but he doesn't like it, it's too cold and he misses the press of skin against his sides. 

Harry joins in on the harmony towards the end which makes Nick break off into a fresh peal of giggles and they don't get to finish the song at all. 

"Hi guys," Niall tries to whisper. He doesn't want to wake up the rest of the house, it's just a little after four and they're all getting up early to play golf in the morning. He hears snatches of the conversation Harry and Nick seem to be having between themselves before Harry obviously grabs the phone off Nick. 

"Come back to London," he whines pathetically. "You should've celebrated your birthday here. I wanted to keep you in bed all day."

"That's an idea," Nick agrees but he sounds a little more distant than the last time he spoke. Harry laughs at something before there's a gasp and Niall can nearly imagine him, pressed up against some wall on the phone with Nick's hand down his trousers. He groans at the image and presses his face further into the fluffy curve of his pillow. 

"We'll make it up to you, promise," Nick says solemnly in the direction of the phone before Harry's gasping again and there's the unmistakable sounds of them kissing. Niall presses the phone closer to his ear as if that'll somehow make it feel more real. Harry is making tiny whimpering noises now and Niall can't help it if he slips his hand into his pyjama bottoms. 

He feels like he's thirteen again, flushed hot and desperately trying to be quiet so he doesn't wake up his dad. Except he has a pair of really loud boyfriends getting off with each other on the other end of the phone that makes everything ten times more erotic. Niall times his breathing with Harry's on the phone, panting out hotly into his pillow and when Harry gasps suddenly, he comes with a groan a moment later. 

"Happy birthday Niall," Harry murmurs down the phone and he sounds all soft and pliant. It makes Niall shiver and grin into the phone even when he knows they can't see him. 

"Thanks guys," he sighs, his eyes already drooping and the wrist holding his phone starting to ache. "Love you, see you later." 

Harry blows him a final kiss before he's gone. 

*

Niall feels like shit when he gets to his flat. His throat hurts and his head has been banging all morning, the hangover and rocky flight back to London not making him feel any better. His alarm is off and after a moment of panic he notices Harry’s jacket slung over the back of one of his kitchen chairs so he drops his bag near his coffee table and walks down the corridor to his bedroom. 

Harry’s half asleep in the middle of his bed, his arms flung out into the space on either side of him and eyelids drooping down. Niall can’t tell if he’s mid waking up or in the process of falling asleep again. 

“Hi,” Niall half whispers, his throat feels like it’s being ripped apart but he kneels onto the mattress to press a kiss against Harry’s forehead anyway. Harry rolls around onto his side, one of his arms reaching up to pull him down. Niall nearly lets him but shakes his head, Harry‘s hand falls down to his knee, long fingers curling around to press into the top of his calf. 

“I wanna shower,” he murmurs in explanation when Harry frowns up at him. 

“You alright?” He mumbles sleepily, knuckle kneading at the sleep in his eye and the fingers around Niall’s leg tightening in response. Niall nods quickly but Harry curls himself around his knees in an attempt to hug him without actually moving too far. Niall laughs fondly when he closes his eyes and hums into the denim of Niall‘s jeans, allowing him a moment to run his fingers through his hair, making him sigh. 

“Nick was here a moment ago,” Harry tells him when Niall goes to move again. He’s feeling gradually worse and he’s sure that he reeks of beer. “He went to go do something. I hope he comes back.” Harry trails off, near back asleep again. Niall wants him back too. 

He slides his knee out of Harry’s loosening grip and slips off into the bathroom. He’s hardly under the spray for long when the bathroom door opens and he can see a figure stripping through the frosted glass. 

“Hey, you’re back,” Nick smiles softly at him sliding into the shower behind him. He gets a flash of skin on skin as Nick presses up against him, lips at the base of his neck before hands come up to his shoulders to shift him round. Niall lets him, manoeuvring around the shower rack his mother bought him so he can face Nick and watch as his hair flattens and sticks to his forehead. 

“Where were you?” Niall asks and Nick’s fingers trace over his Adam’s apple and down his throat. 

“Getting breakfast,” Nick tells him. “Harry can never get out of bed in the morning can he?” 

Niall smirks swaying forward so Nick can kiss him. Niall sighs into his mouth, kissing back gently and letting Nick’s fingers press into his shoulders, pulling him into a hug under the warm water. 

“Did you have a good birthday?” Nick asks him, pressing his lips against the side of his head. Niall nods, cheek rubbing against Nick’s nose. 

“It was nice seeing everyone,” Niall mumbles as Nick presses closer and his hand sweeps lower down his back. “But I wish you could’ve been there.” 

He can feel Nick’s smile against his cheek before he presses a kiss just beside his ear. 

“I missed you too," Nick sighs, tongue poking out to lap some of the water running across Niall’s cheekbone. Niall giggles until he’s cut off with the press of lips and hands creeping around his waist. He gasps into Nick’s mouth and gets to kiss him once more before Nick’s dropping down onto his knees and pressing him back against the tiles. He comes embarrassingly quickly a few minutes later, knees nearly buckling but Nick just laughs into his hip bone and kisses up his stomach until he can lick into his mouth. 

“Bed,” Nick murmurs against Niall’s lips. 

“Are you not busy today?” Niall asks, his voice half slurring as Nick helps him out of the shower and brushes a towel over his chest. He knows that Nick has a million and one things to do before his show starts up again, plus he's flying off on holiday without them too.

“I think I can squeeze in an hours kip.” Nick tells him, pushing towards the bedroom door where Harry’s fully asleep now. Niall smiles, warmth seeping into his bones as he crawls in beside him, pressing up close so there’s enough room for Nick to wriggle in after him.

Nick wakes him nearly a two hours later. Harry’s gone from his side and Niall can hardly swallow his throat is so inflamed. 

“You’ll get sick,” Niall croaks out, palm pushing against Nick’s jaw to stop him from pressing kisses all over his skin even though it feels nice. 

“I have to go” Nick tells him, breathing his laugh out through his nose. “Or I’ll miss my flight.” 

Niall’s stomach sinks and he makes a pathetic whining noise at the back of his throat that if he was completely awake he would blush at. He would much rather be off with Nick to the Ibizan sun than stay in dreary London. Nick must find it sweet though because he’s back pressing kisses down Niall’s cheeks. 

“I’ll see you in a couple of days” he whispers into his ear before nipping the lobe gently with his teeth. “I hope you feel better.” 

“Have a good time,” Niall sighs finally opening his eyes and blinking through the afternoon light. Harry’s leaning up against the doorframe watching them, something between a pout and a smile on his face. Nick kisses him again on the lips and Niall can’t help wind a hand through his hair and tug him closer. 

“Do you want me to come back?” Harry asks not moving from the doorframe even when Nick walks over to him and grabs his hand. 

“Yes,” Niall huffs watching their fingers tangle. “But don’t.” Because when one of them is feeling unwell they’re supposed to avoid each other - even though that rarely works and they all end up sick anyway. 

Harry sighs and actually looks upset for a moment. “I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he mutters quietly before lifting his fingers to his lips and blowing him a kiss. Niall lifts the corners of his mouth to smile at him and watches them walk down the corridor, eyes dropping shut just as the front door slams and he’s off to sleep again. 

*

"You look green," Harry marvels nearly a week later and Niall looks over to where Nick is standing in the doorway, leaning against the wood with his jacket hanging limply off his arm. He's staying at his own house tonight, nervous and jittery before his first big show in the morning but has yet to actually leave Niall's flat. 

Harry had thought about doing the same in a show of strength - if all three of them couldn't be together then two of them shouldn't either - but Niall had rolled his eyes, pulling at his collar and mouthing across his neck until his resolve broke and he sank back down onto the sofa beside him to watch the end of X Factor. 

"I don't think I've actually seen anyone go properly green before" Niall muses, running his hand through Harry's curls from where he's tucked up beside him.

"What if it all goes wrong?" He mumbles for not the first time this evening. Niall hardly hears it over the adverts but Harry is leaning up off of his chest and reaching over at Nick, making grabby motions to him until Nick pushes off the doorjamb and shuffles over. 

"I think you're being silly" Harry laughs, nose wrinkling as he grabs Nick by his hips and pulls him down between his knees. Harry leans back against Niall again so he can easily reach his arm around Harry's shoulder and rub his thumb over Nick's cheekbone while Harry's goes easily to cradle his jaw. "You're going to be very good. You've wanted this forever." 

"I know," Nick sighs and sinks forward, pressing Harry back into Niall until Niall is holding nearly all of their weight. He can hardly breathe but it feels nice to get his arms around both of them at once. 

"And if it goes shit you can just go back to the night time," Niall tells him cheerfully. Nick scowls at him but Harry laughs loudly, the vibrations of his making Niall and Nick simultaneously shiver. Nick leans forward to nose along Harry's cheek before kissing him softly on the lips. Niall watches them lazily, the slow slide of lips and the lick of a tongue until he gets impatient and worms his hands in to slide across Harry's chest and tweak a nipple. 

Harry breaks off the kiss with a laugh and allows Nick to lean over his shoulder to kiss Niall too. 

"Right I really have to go," Nick tells him, lips still pressed against Niall's mouth so he can kiss him again while Harry protests weakly between them. "I'll hopefully see you tomorrow." 

"I'll speak to you in the morning," Harry tells him, kissing him once more sweetly before he shoves at his shoulders playfully to get him off the sofa. Niall grins at him and notices that Nick looks a little less pale than before. 

"See you later," Nick tells them with a final look before he slips out the door and leaves Niall and Harry snuggled together with the rest of Xtra Factor to watch. 

*

Harry answers Niall's phone automatically - anything to stop the annoyingly loud ringing from the bed side table. They should probably be up by now but the room is dim and Niall's mattress is ridiculously comfy, especially with Niall curled up beside him. 

"'Lo," Harry half mumbles distractedly because he's trying to work out a way to untangle his arm from under Niall's neck. It's gone dead and his fingers are painfully tingly. Niall barely moves, eyelids fluttering for a moment before he tries to nuzzle into Harry's armpit. 

"Oh sorry," Matt Fincham's voice comes over the line and Harry tries to work out why he's calling him at eight in the morning. "Shit, I must have called the wrong number. Sorry Harry." 

"S'ok," Harry yawns yanking his arm out from under Niall and stretching his fingers to get more feeling into them. Niall mumbles something incoherent into the side of Harry's ribs, lips moving over his skin but Harry can't work out what he's saying. Matt's apologising again and sounds quite flustered before he hangs up and Harry settles back into the pillow again.

"Who was that?" Niall asks rolling over so he's lying on his back. He's blinking slowly at the ceiling and Harry watches him rub the sleep out of one of his eyes. 

"Fincham," Harry murmurs and curls closer to him. His side is warm and soft and a much better thing to sleep on than a pillow. There's a space behind his back from where Nick was lying but the sheets are cool and Harry isn't awake enough to work out how long he's been gone. Niall makes a noise that doesn't really mean anything and blinks three times before he groans.

"Fuck," he sighs and pushes himself up to reach over Harry's chest so he can grab his phone off the table. "I'm supposed to be on the radio today."

As if on cue the phone rings again and Niall collapses down so he's lying across Harry's chest and answers. 

"Hey Finchy," Niall grins into the handset and shudders when Harry dances his fingertips up his spine. It's distracting enough that he hardly hears Matt apologise down the phone and explain the mix up. Nick's laugh on the other end of the phone snaps his attention back though and Niall can't help but grin into the phone. 

"Morning love," he croons and Harry snuffles a laugh against his shoulder. 

"Hello dear," Nick replies. Niall can imagine the look on Matt's face if the groan he lets out is anything to go by. Harry is turning him, manhandling him down onto the mattress so he can stretch out over him and smack tiny kisses down his chest. "You sound adorably sleepy." 

"I am," Niall sighs out as Harry licks over one of his nipples. "Harry's doing his best to wake me up though." Harry slithers up Niall's body then, hooking a leg over his waist so he can settle near the phone. 

"Hello," he tells Niall's chin, pressing a kiss against his skin. His voice is still rough from sleep and it sounds ridiculously sexy.

"Christ Harry," Matt groans. "Thank God we're not on the radio yet." 

Niall and Nick laugh but Harry just grins down at Niall kissing him again, licking deep into his mouth. 

"Harry do you think you can leave him alone for a minute?" Nick asks cheerfully. He sounds so much more awake than either of them do. "I know this is part of your promo but I think outing you both on live radio might be going a bit too far." 

"But it's nice," Harry complains, rolling over anyway and away from the phone. Niall smiles over at him before catching his breath. 

"Ok, he's fucked off now," Niall tells them and Matt groans again. 

"Nick you're live in twenty seconds. Niall please try not to swear or maul Harry in the process." Matt tells them.

"Oh fuck off Finchy," Niall murmurs as Harry rolls off the bed and pads off in the direction of the kitchen. Nick's still laughing when the song cuts off and he's on air again. 

Nick's exhausted come lunchtime. He slips in Harry's front door already frowning and sinks into the sofa. Niall hardly even notices he's there, glancing over his shoulder as he drives Princess Peach around the track. 

"Hey" he grins but Nick hardly changes his expression, just flicks his eyes up and blinks slowly at him. "You're home early." It's just past twelve and Niall had assumed that Nick would go off for lunch with the rest of his team or someone else more showbiz. Princess Peach swerves off the screen because he's not paying attention anymore so Niall pauses the game and crawls across the floor until he can settle between Nick's feet. 

"What's up?" He asks quietly, walking his two fingers up the inside of Nick's jean leg until he reaches his thigh and he spreads his palm over it, pinky curling around the other edge. Nick finally smiles down at him and Niall laughs happily. His eyes are twinged with red and he looks more tired than Niall's ever seen him before. "Tired?" 

"Yeah," Nick whispers. It sounds a bit pathetic but Niall doesn't call him on it, instead he just kneels up so he can plant an elbow on either side of his thighs. He flicks eyes upwards and leans down, nuzzling his face into him and nosing at his waistband. Nick lets go of a frustrated breath and lets his head drop onto the back of the sofa. Niall can just about see him blink from his angle until he sits up straight again with a sad little frown. 

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this," he tells Niall with a pout. He manages to gather up enough energy to swipe his thumb over Niall's jaw and when he pulls away Niall tries to follow him. "But I think I'm too tired." 

"Showing your age finally," Niall tells him wisely and gets to his feet. Nick doesn't even retort so Niall knows he's really wrecked. "Come on, we can go to bed." 

Nick makes a noise that sounds ridiculously close to a whine. 

"And cuddle. I promise I won't try and take any of your clothes off," Niall laughs and threads their fingers together so he can pull him off the sofa. "The sofa will be bad for your back old man." 

"Stop it," Nick manages to fire back but there's absolutely no heat behind his words. Niall smiles at him over his shoulder and leads him through the house to Harry's bedroom. It's still a mess from where Niall and Harry had slept in it the night before but Nick doesn't seem to mind, letting go of Niall's hand for just long enough to pull his t-shirt over his head. Niall helps him with his belt buckle and can't help letting his hands wander further, fingers slipping below the waistband of his boxers. 

"Niall," Nick warns trying to squirm away, he grabs Niall's hand and tries to glare at him but it only makes Niall laugh. 

"Ok ok," Niall lets him pull his arms away from his boxers as he kicks off his jeans. Nick makes another adorably cute pout at him and falls back onto the mattress, pulling Niall with him.

"Nap time Horan," Nick murmurs pulling him closer so they both are lying in the tangle of sheets in the middle of the bed. Niall arranges himself around him and it hardly surprises him that when he next looks round Nick's already out for the count. 

He dozes for the next few hours, not really tired enough to fall asleep properly but comfortable enough under Nick's arm to not want to move. 

"There you are," Harry sighs walking into the room. It's getting close to dinner time and the room is dim because the sun has moved round. Niall blinks up at him and waves his free hand, he hadn't heard the front door go but Harry's frowning at them, pulling off the shirt he had to wear all day at the shoot. It's damp at the top and Niall registers the sound of the rain pelting the windows. Nick is still breathing deeply beside him, his breath fanning over Niall's shoulder and collarbone. 

"Nick's sleeping," Niall explains unnecessarily. 

Harry stares at him and Niall would nearly call it a glare but he can't be bothered getting too worked up about it. "Yes I can see that." Harry grunts and kicks off his shoes. He flicks on the light and Niall has to squint at the sudden change in light. Nick murmurs against Niall's skin and curls into him more, trying to shield his eyes. "And why's that? What did you get up to without me?" 

Niall sighs. He can feel Nick stir beside him, rubbing his face up against Niall to try and wake himself up. "Nothing. Nick was tired so we went to bed. That's all." 

Harry pouts and hunts through one of his drawers to find something soft and comfortable to wear. 

"Fine," he snaps, shoving pairs of jogging bottoms out of the way until he finds a grey pair he likes. "I'm taking a shower." He pauses when he gets to the door and looks like he's going to say something, eyes slowly trailing over Niall and Nick together before he growls to himself and storms off into the bathroom. 

The door clicks shut and Nick rolls over, blinking groggily up at Niall. 

"What's wrong with him?" He asks, throwing an arm up over his eyes because of the light. He shuffles closer again to Niall as if he's too cold without being beside him. 

"Dunno," Niall sighs. He hears the shower turn on and the shower door slam shut. "He's being grumpy." 

Nick sighs and then snorts to himself. "Sometimes I like to forget that you two are teenagers."

Niall smirks and rolls over so he can press a sloppy kiss against Nick's mouth. He's still sleepy and uncoordinated when he kisses him back. 

"Live in your fantasy world Grimmy, where we're five years older and you’re five years younger," Niall tells him, reaching out to twist his nipple. He yelps and bats pathetically at Niall's arm before he rolls out the other side. 

"A better place," he says wistfully and pulls on a pair of bottoms that Harry hadn't deemed acceptable a few minutes ago. "Go sort him out and I'll start dinner. I've got a recipe for a pie I really want to try out."

"So hip," Niall scoffs but rolls off the bed anyway, dodging the slap that Nick is aiming for him and walking straight into the bathroom instead. It's steamy already and through the frosted glass of the shower he can see Harry, stooped under the spray. He has his head down and a hand planted on the tiles beside him. He cocks his head and Niall knows by the instant tension in his shoulders that he's seen him. 

"What's up Harry?" Niall asks slinking close to the shower and pulling the door open. He's in two minds whether to climb in with him or stay where he is in case it pisses Harry off more. Harry looks at him for a long moment before he presses himself against the back of the shower allowing him enough room to get in if he wanted to. Niall peels his boxers off before slipping in beside him. The shower is a tight squeeze, much smaller than the one in the main bathroom and they're nearly standing chest to chest. 

"Come on tell me," Niall urges him, moving his head under the spray and letting the water flatten his hair. 

"I'm just pissed off," Harry mutters. His tone is still dark and he's staring at the bottle of shampoo on the shelf beside Niall's head instead of meeting his eyes. 

"About what?" Niall prompts when Harry closes off again, he raises his hand and tips his head to the side so he can't escape him. "Talking about it will make it better." 

Harry grunts, narrowing his eyes at him and turning his back to him, reaching for the shampoo and squirting some into his palm before dropping it to the floor. It rebounds and hits Niall's shin and he tries not to wince too much. Harry doesn't seem too bothered, working the soap into his hair and acting as if Niall isn't squeezed in beside him. 

"Fine," Niall sighs and manoeuvres around him to try and get to the door. Harry makes no attempts to make it easy for him, stepping in his way to wash the suds out of his hair. Niall sighs, he knows that Harry is trying to pick a fight and he hates that it's actually working. "Move." He orders and he sees a flicker of satisfaction in Harry's eyes. Harry steps to the side, closing his eyes and lifting his head into the water so it runs over his face and down his neck. Niall watches him for a moment, hating how good he looks before he shoves the door open and steps out onto the bathmat. He leaves the door open to piss Harry off and pulls a towel off the rail. Harry's out a few moments later and still looks as pissed off as before. 

"Are you going to do this all evening?" Niall asks him and Harry's fingers falter around the towel. He ignores Niall and walks over, picking out his toothbrush and shoving it into his mouth with a bit more aggression than necessary. "Be a pissy stubborn twat?" 

Harry glares at him, toothpaste dripping down his chin. 

"Why are you suddenly being a shit to me?" Harry demands, spitting into the sink and glaring at him again. "All I've gotten today is crap from the papers and crap from Louis and crap from the fucking director. Then I come home and find you and Nick all wrapped around each other looking all fucked out and happy in _my_ bed _without_ me." 

"Is this what this is about?" Niall asks even though he has no idea what was in the press today about Harry or what Louis has been saying to him. He tries to think of something to push Harry's buttons. "Jesus grow a thicker skin." 

Harry wings the toothbrush at him and is snaps against Niall's shoulders before clattering to the floor. Niall's a bit stunned that he actually threw it at him even though it didn’t hurt and he stares open mouthed at Harry who looks fuming now. He crosses the bathroom in three steps and presses Niall up against the door to the shower. The glass is cold and wet against his skin and it makes him gasp, Harry's tongue getting into his mouth before he gets a chance to catch his breath. 

Harry kisses him hard, a hand curled fiercely around his bicep and biting down onto his lip. It doesn't hurt but it isn't exactly pleasant. Harry wrenches away and Niall can see instantly that his eyes look less clouded. Harry looks at him for a long moment before letting out a low groan and rocking forward so his head can rest on Niall's shoulder. Niall circles his waist and holds him close as he breathes roughly into his shoulder. 

"Sorry," Harry whispers and Niall falters because his voice sounds so empty. "I’m just in a shit mood.” 

He steps back and won't meet Niall's eyes again. He pulls on his clothes slowly but Niall just watches him. 

“I know you are,” Niall says gently and moulds himself to Harry‘s back. He stays tense for a moment before he relaxes against him, letting Niall hug him from behind. “But you can‘t let this annoy you. You and Nick do plenty of things just the two of you and me and you do too.” 

“I know,” Harry sighs and finally reaches up to grip his wrist between two long fingers. “Look I‘m not going to be good company tonight. Maybe you should just go home.” 

Niall falters because Harry‘s never asked him to leave before. 

“Is that what you really want?” Niall asks and Harry nods against him, turning in his arms to give him a quick hug. 

“I‘ll see you tomorrow,” he presses his lips to his temple and pulls away, walking slowly to retrieve his toothbrush from the floor and popping it back into his mouth. 

Niall nods, walking on autopilot down the stairs to see Nick hovering in the doorway.

"What's wrong with him?" Nick asks. He looks a bit bewildered.

"He wants us to leave," Niall shrugs and he can honestly say he's never felt so puzzled. Nick frowns but gathers up his jacket dutifully and turns off the stove. 

"Ok," Nick sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I'm too tired to deal with this." He mumbles and Niall's stomach sinks. Nick pulls on his shoes and gives him a small smile. “Do you know what will make you feel better?” 

“What?” Niall asks stepping out of Harry’s house and shivering in the cold. Nick presses up against him as they walk towards his car. 

“I know this great karaoke bar,” Nick laughs holding his door open. Niall scoffs because after the first time Nick has been on a mission to get him out singing again. He shakes his head but Nick just grins at him, shutting his door and running round the other side to the drivers side. “We can sing emotional ballads at each other about how our boyfriend doesn’t love us anymore.” 

Niall snorts but he can already feel his resolve crumbling.

Nick finishes dinner at his place and actually manages to produce something completely edible. He kisses Niall against the still warm stove until neither of them taste like garlic or rosemary anymore and manages to convince Niall that karaoke is a great idea. 

“Drink this,” Nick suggests sliding a slick glass across the table to him. Niall’s squashed into a booth with a few people he sort of recognises from magazine but has never spoke to in his life. He gulps at it, wincing as swallows and gets the overwhelming taste of tequila. One of Nick’s friends is singing ’Unchained Melody’ on the stage and Niall is feeling more and more out of place as the night goes on. 

“Harry!” The girl beside him crows and Niall’s neck nearly snaps he looks round so fast. Harry’s walking across the bar looking sheepish. 

“Hey,” he smiles at the rest of the group and slips into the bench beside Niall. He slides in close until their thighs are pressed together and he can get an arm around Niall’s back. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologises quietly into his ear and Niall’s eyes flick around. Nick is beaming at them, looking pleasantly surprised that Harry turned up. “Do you forgive me?” 

Niall’s already nodding. “Only if you sing.” 

Harry pulls a face before smiling at him softly. 

“If you insist,” he laughs and jumps up, walking towards the stage and grabbing at Nick’s wrist to pull him close. Niall watches them laugh together before they’re both jumping up onto the stage and grabbing microphones. 

Niall flushes as they both break into a woeful rendition of _Hopelessly Devoted To You_ and pretends that they aren’t singing it to him. 

*

It's the first semi decent day in a while and Harry wants to make the most of it. He drags Niall out of the house just after lunchtime and produces a football out of somewhere - begging until Niall gives in and agrees to a kick about. He somehow gets Nick involved and he's tramping across the green with a thick pair of sunglasses and his jacket pulled up around his neck twenty minutes later. 

"It's fucking freezing and you want to play football?" Nick greets them, pulling Harry into a tight hug and circling his fingers around Niall's wrist, pulling him in close as soon as Harry is wrenching himself free. Harry just grins at him, bouncing the ball off his chest. 

"Come on, you can't be that bad at it?" Harry teases taking a few steps back so he can bounce the ball properly without injuring either of them. Niall just cackles, putting an equal space between them so Harry can pass to him. Nick rolls his eyes, pushing his glasses further up his nose and shrugging off his jacket to fling it down where Harry's left his. 

"If there's any paps hiding in any of these bushes you pair are dead," Nick warns with a wave of his hand. Niall has to laugh because even though he's still got his glasses on and covering half his face, he can tell he's glaring at Harry competitively. Harry's face splits into a grin, kicking the ball high through the air and aiming straight at Nick's head. 

"No funny business Styles!" He squawks running after the ball and booting it back. Harry just laughs, catching the ball with the inside of his foot and aiming over at Niall again.

It happens when Niall’s running after Nick’s kick that went too far right. He’s ducking to the right, running fast across the field when he hears the pop and his knee’s buckling, pain white hot shooting through his knee and then he’s sprawled out across the grass.

“Niall!” Nick laughs watching as Niall rolls onto his side, unhurt leg coming up to meet his chest as he curls in on himself. It hurts too much for Niall to properly concentrate but he’s dimly aware of the other two, smiles falling off their faces as they run over to meet him. 

“What’s happened?” Nick asks while putting a firm hand on his shoulder and forcing him onto his back. 

“Knee,” Niall breathes out and Harry groans. 

“Shit not again,” he sighs and tries to straighten out his leg. 

“Ow!” Niall cries out and flings his arm up to cover his eyes. He can feel the stinging behind them and he doesn’t want them to see him cry but it just hurts too much. 

“Sorry sorry.” Harry tells him, rubbing his hand up over his hip to settle in the middle of his stomach, palm flat and a reassuring weight on him. “I’ll try and be careful ok?” 

“Yeah,” Niall bites out and Nick pets through his hair quietly. “I think it’s a bad one.” He manages through gritted teeth. 

“Hospital?” Harry asks quietly before he’s leaning up over Niall’s torso to grab his hand so he can wrench his arm away from his eyes. “Aw Niall.” He sighs when he sees the tears and then there’s four pads of thumbs brushing them away that makes Niall want to cry harder. 

“It’s going to be fine,” Nick tells him with a small smile but his brow is still furrowed. Niall nods up at him, blinking away the last of the tears and accepting Harry’s hand to help him sit up. 

“Ok,” he grunts when he’s upright. Nick and Harry both grab one of his arms, curling their other around his back and pull him gently to his feet. Niall breathes sharply, pain intensifying once he’s upright and he tries to put all his weight on his good leg. 

“I thought the way we would end up in casualty would’ve been a lot more kinkier.” Nick tells them as they cross the field and make it to Harry’s car. Niall wants to laugh but the strain on his knee is really starting to hurt so he doesn’t say anything, just concentrates on his breathing as they bundle him quickly into the back, Nick climbing in with him as Harry goes to the drivers side. 

“Hey it’s going to be fine.” Nick tells him, running his hand up Niall’s side as he tips his body sideways and leans into him. “They’re going to give you extra strong painkillers. That will be fun.” 

Harry snorts from the drivers seat, pulling out onto the road and heading in the direction of the hospital. “And if we all have one who can blame us.” 

“Strictly a case of making sure they’re safe for you to take.” Nick agrees and Niall finally manages a smile. 

“So thoughtful.” Niall mutters. “Looking out for me like that.” 

“Here to help dear.” Nick grins at him, pressing a kiss to his temple and tucking his hair behind his ear. 

*

Niall does get painkillers, strong ones that make him feel loopy and he jibbers nonsense to Harry and Nick all the way home from the hospital until he passes out in Nick’s bed. He wakes up when it’s already dark and they’re starting to wear off. He feels rubbish, confined to Nick’s bed as they bring him dinner and fuss over him making sure he’s drinking enough water. The numbness in his knee is disappearing and is being replaced with a dull ache that makes him never want to move again. 

“At least you have an excuse.” Nick tells him brightly as he shuffles across the mattress on his knees and settles in beside him. He just out of the shower and he looks soft in a too big t-shirt and fluffy damp hair. “Being an invalid is much more credible that just taking a liking to baking and needing an early night.” 

“It’s because you’re eighty at heart.” Niall tells him but accepts the bowl of ice cream from him anyway. 

“At least I don’t walk like I’m eighty.” Nick gloats and turns up the volume louder. “Oooh. This weeks looks so good.” 

The titles for Great British Bake Off start and Niall rolls his eyes, digging into his ice cream and trying not to think of the ache in his leg.

“This is really a sad picture.” Harry mutters from the doorway. Nick grins at him, patting the space beside them. 

“I think you only watch this because you fancy this John boy.” Harry mutters dropping down onto the mattress and throwing his feet up over the duvet. 

Nick snorts but doesn’t deny it. 

“ _Nick_ “ Harry intones when the silence between them stretches on and Mel and Sue are the only ones that are speaking in the room. 

“He’s cute.” Nick shrugs, sucking his spoon into his mouth and looking round at him very innocently. Niall snorts and scoops up some of the vanilla. It’s melting quickly and he wonders for a moment if Harry made Nick let it melt before bringing it to him. “He can make me deserts all day long. We could lie in bed and eat choux pastry and get fat together.” 

Harry’s expression turns dark and he turns his head back to the TV, glaring at it when John appears. 

“I hope Brendan wins.” He whispers darkly and Nick makes an outraged noise through a mouthful of strawberry.

“How dare you.” He crows turning properly round until his back is fully to Niall and he can face Harry. “Get out of this bed right now.” 

Harry shuffles closer in an act of defiance and folds his arms, staring resolutely at the TV.

“You are both pathetic.” Niall murmurs nearly licking his bowl. “It’s a TV programme.” 

“Based on real life.” Nick defends with a pout. “Now will you both shut up and let me watch it?” 

“What if I learnt how to bake choux buns and all this crap that he can make?” Harry asks twenty minutes later during the boring historical bit. Nick rolls his eyes. 

“You still wouldn’t be as good as him.” He tells him. Niall sighs from where he’s bundled up beside Nick. He’s managed to curl into his chest and every time Nick gets worked up he moves and jostles Niall too much. 

Harry’s jaw drops. “I could be. I could enter celebrity Bake Off and get Star Baker you know?” 

Niall groans and pinches Nick’s side when he goes to reply. “Will you both shut up?” 

“I’d make éclairs and feed them to you in bed.” Harry continues loudly. “And cover myself in whipped cream. You’d fucking love it.” 

“Are you going to do that for Mary Berry? Sexual favours are the only way you’d win.” 

“Christ you two are so annoying.” Niall mutters, hoisting himself out from under Nick’s arm and gingerly edging off the bed. “I’ll be downstairs, when you stop squabbling like whiny brats over a _cookery_ show then come and fine me.”

The fact he’s hobbling detracts from the heat behind his words but he manages to shuffle and limp out of Nick’s room in record time. Harry and Nick watch him obediently but the minute he shuts the door they start squabbling again. 

He’s only made it half way down the stairs - granted it’s taking him double the amount of time to do so - when the door opens behind him and Harry is storming out. 

“I’m a good baker.” He insists. “I worked in a bakery for fucks sake.” 

Niall snorts and holds onto the banister as Harry edges around him on the stair. 

“On the till, you never baked a day in your life.” Niall laughs and Harry glares at him over his shoulder. 

“Harry.” Nick is half laughing and half being serious. “I believe you. Just come back to bed and we’ll watch the end of it. Niall you too.” 

“No.” He shakes his head stubbornly, turning at the bottom of the stairs with a frown. He looks sort of ridiculous, in the two minutes Niall has been out of the bedroom he’s somehow lost his trousers so he’s standing in his boxers and a jumper that’s drooping down to his thighs. “You better hope there’s flour in your cupboard.” 

Nick nearly doubles over laughing, trailing down the stairs and hooking his arm under Niall’s elbow to help him down the last three steps. 

“Thanks.” Niall sighs once he’s on flat ground and he can hobble into the kitchen after Harry. Nick splutters into laughter because Harry is already rooting around the cupboards, producing a bag of flour and sugar. 

“Get me butter.” He orders but Nick stands still. Niall’s just pulled himself onto one of the stools at Nick’s counter and the fridge is all the way at the other side of the kitchen so he doesn’t make any effort to move either. 

“The bakers do it all themselves.” Nick shrugs and if looks could kill Harry would be a murderer. 

“I hope you choke on these.” He murmurs, stomping across the kitchen and wrenching the fridge door open. He emerges a minute later with butter and cream before returning back to the bench and hunting around for a mixing bowl. 

“So pleasant.” Nick sighs, fluttering his eyelashes and slinking over to where Niall’s perched. He steps in front of him, slipping between his knees so he can curl a hand in his hair 

“Still sleepy?” He asks quietly and Niall nods, dropping his head onto Nick’s shoulder. 

“The tablets are making me weird.” Niall murmurs because it’s true. He wants to blame the past ten minutes on the painkillers but he knows that in reality Nick and Harry are just mad. 

“Yeah.” Nick sighs running a hand through his hair and settling his palm onto his neck. “I know, do you want to go back to bed?” 

“No.” Harry shakes his head when Niall looks up. He’s lumping butter into a bowl and then he sticks his hands in, frowning down at the mixture as he creams it in his hands. “He’s impartial, he has to taste them.” 

Nick sniffs and turns back to rubbing at Nick’s neck. “He’ll take my side.” He says confidently, thumbing under his ear and letting Niall nestle into his open palm. 

“S’true.” Niall sighs watching Harry huff, pulling sticky fingers out of the bowl to reach for eggs. Harry stays quiet and Nick whispers soothing words into Niall’s ear and pecks his cheek enough times for him to be nearly lulled to sleep except for the uncomfortable stool he’s sitting in. Nick pulls away with a laugh and Niall has to blink himself awake to see Harry measure out flour, getting it everywhere in the process. There’s two of his own handprints on the back of his boxers and Niall very much doesn’t want to taste the buns anymore. 

He pokes his tongue out, folding in flour into the mixture before stirring it all together, spooning it into a bun tin that he found at the back of Nick’s cupboard. Niall has no idea how it got there in the first place. 

“Fairy cakes?” Nick asks outraged when he catches on to what Harry’s making. He takes a step towards him and wags a finger at him. “You’re going to have to aim a bit higher if you’re going to get Star Baker.” 

Harry growls, lifting the first thing he can find and flinging it at him, it happens to be the bag of flour and for a moment they all disappear in a cloud of white. 

“ _Harry_ “ Nick groans after a moment of stunned silence and when it starts to settle. Harry breaks into a loud cackle and stoops over, hand on the counter to keep him steady, laughing harder when Niall sneezes twice in a row. 

“I can’t believe you actually did that.” Nick says and looks around at the complete mess of the kitchen. Harry cackles louder, a tear running down his face and making the flour on his face clump together. 

“I’m sorry.” He gasps between laughs. “It’s what they all do in the movies.” 

“How romantic.” Nick deadpans but he crosses the rest of the kitchen and pulls Harry into a kiss anyway. He groans into it, grinning around his lips before pulling away. 

“You taste of flour.” He pulls a face and runs a thumb over his lip. It does little to get rid of the flour that’s all over him. 

“I wonder why?” Nick asks making Harry laugh again. 

“Sorry.” He apologises with a wince and turns back to the cakes. “I’ll stick these in and we can shower ok?” 

Nick nods, hardly letting go of Harry’s jumper as he puts the cake mix into the oven. They shuffle over to where Niall’s slumped against the counter, partially covered in flour. 

“Do you think you can stand long enough to shower?” Harry asks him with a small smile, thumbing over Niall’s cheek to wipe away a smear of white. 

“Not really.” Niall shakes his head. Nick pulls a face and helps him off the stool anyway.

“Poor Niall.” Harry hums as he loops a hand around Nick’s neck and they walk him into the living room, settling him down on the sofa and handing him the control. Niall feels like he’s a child but he’s too sleepy and whacked out to care. “He won’t get an apologetic blow job in the shower.” 

Nick’s expression brightens as he presses a kiss to Niall’s temple and tugs on the hem of Harry’s jumper. 

“Let’s get to it then.” He pauses for a moment before smiling mockingly at Harry. “Star baker.” 

Harry grins, resting his hands on Nick’s hips to leave a sticky cake mix hand print. “That’s more like it.” He yanks at Nick’s t-shirt and walks backwards towards the stairs. 

By the time they make it out of the shower Niall is out cold on the sofa and the buns have burnt black. 

*

Just like Harry promised - the next time they go to New York they bring Nick with them. He manages to get his show covered for a few days and gets on a plane without any paparazzi finding out. Niall is excited, it feels like they’re going on holiday even when he knows that he and Harry are away on work. 

“Come on.” Nick coaxes Niall awake on their second night. Niall tries to roll away from with a groan - it doesn’t feel like he’s been asleep all that long, it’s still dark outside and he’s too tired from flying and constant rehearsal to move. 

“It’s snowing Niall.” Harry murmurs, pressing up against his back and looping an arm around his waist to rub slow circles on his tummy. 

“Warm here.” He mutters rolling his head further into the pillow but pushing his arse out to get more contact with Harry’s bare skin. He huffs a laugh into Niall’s neck before rolling away, pushing the duvet up over Niall’s body so cool air rushes over him. “Dickhead.” Niall mutters curling into a ball in the middle of the bed, he can feel goosebumps raise all over his back and he shivers from the cold. 

“We’re going to sneak out.” Harry tells him reappearing behind him but this time he’s got a jumper on. The wool scratches against Niall’s skin when Harry bends over him, tugging on his hair and nuzzling into his neck again. “We can go see something in the snow.” 

“We can see it in the morning.” Niall complains, keeping his eyes firmly shut even though he knows he’ll never get back to sleep. Nick is throwing random items of clothing at him including a shoe which hits his shoulder blade to make him get up. “Ow.” 

“We need to go soon.” Nick tells him not looking sorry at all. He hands him the other shoe much more politely with a sly grin. “Before anyone catches on that you‘re gone.” 

Niall nods, there’s been a small army of girls camping outside the hotel most mornings when they go to do something remotely productive or interesting. He hopes they aren’t out there now, mainly for their safety but he can’t be bothered dealing with twenty sleep deprived girls at this time of the morning. He rolls out of bed slowly and pulls on the clothes they gave him, the jumper actually belongs to Harry and smells of Nick so he keeps the collar up round his face so he can smell him every time he inhales. 

It’s still dark when they escape out of the side hotel door but the lights on the street make everything bright. 

“It’s pretty.” Niall concedes after a few blocks of walking and he‘s fully awake now. Snow’s falling thick and fast and it’s nothing like what they get at home. Harry links their hands together and tugs at his beanie self consciously. He’s pretty sure no one will recognise them on the street at this time of the morning and so wrapped up in hats and scarves but he wants to be sure. 

Nick hesitates for a moment and it makes Niall uneasy for the long moment it takes for him to join hands with Niall. Nick gives him a reassuring smile, as if he could read Niall’s mind and Niall returns it faintly, squeezing Harry’s hand tightly through the thick gloves they’re both wearing to distract himself. 

“It’s freezing.” Harry mutters, puffs of white air coming from his mouth. His nose is already turning pink from it and he probably shouldn’t be out because they’ve got a few huge performances coming up in the next couple of days and can‘t afford to get sick. 

They don’t get lost exactly but they can’t find their way to Central Park even though it’s probably easy to find so they stop on the corner of a random street instead of going any further. There’s still people milling about at this time of the morning but the three of them huddle under a street light and look up at the snow. 

Niall tips his head back, letting a few snowdrops land on his tongue and back of his throat before he swallows. Nick does the same and when he presses his tongue against Niall‘s it‘s sharp and cold against his own. 

“I’m really glad you came with us.” Harry tells Nick quietly when they break apart and stay clustered in close. Niall hears him take a deep breath and feels his hand tighten again. It’s like those times where you know something bad is going to happen and time slows down a fraction. “I wanted you know that I love you.” He breathes out in a white fog.

He’s looking straight at Nick and Niall’s can’t help watching him too. He stills, eyes caught on Harry’s face before his gaze flickers over to meet Niall’s. Niall doesn’t realise he’s holding his breath until his chest feels too tight and he has to gasp a breath. Harry doesn’t look much better, his face is stiff as he waits for Nick’s reaction. 

“Harry.” He murmurs and Harry’s face falls slightly before he plasters on a tight smile. 

“You don’t have to say anything.” He says very quickly, words tripping over themselves. “I just wanted to say it.” 

Nick opens his mouth before he clamps it shut, glancing over at Niall again before nodding silently. Harry nods too before he spins on his heel and looks back down the street the way they came. 

“Let’s get back. It’s freezing.” His fingers are still wrapped tightly in Niall’s hand and Niall doesn’t want to admit to himself that the sinking feeling in his stomach is anything to do with Nick walking along side them, arms folded protectively over his chest and not touching either of them anymore.

Nick goes for a shower the minute they get back to the hotel room and Harry looks forlornly at the bathroom door as the lock clicks shut. Niall doesn’t remember the last time any of them locked the door. 

“I shouldn’t have said should I?” Harry asks quietly lying down onto the bed and frowning up at the ceiling. Niall crawls onto the bed beside him and Harry curls into him immediately, fisting a hand in his t-shirt so he can’t get away. 

“It’s alright.” Niall whispers and presses his lips to Harry’s temple. “Let him freak out and then he’ll be back to normal.” 

Harry nods, resting his chin on Niall’s shoulder and looking at the side of his face.

“You know that I love you too.” Harry murmurs softly and it sounds a little sad. 

“I don’t get a romantic snowy confession?” Niall asks with a smile. Harry chuckles hollowly and wraps an arm around Niall’s waist to pull him round onto his side and they can face each other, noses nearly touching. 

“You don’t get one because you already know.” Harry sighs Niall nods, shifting closer to press his lips against him. Neither of them turn it into a kiss they just lie like that, blinking slowly and pressed in close. 

“I know.” Niall agrees against his lips. “And you know too.” 

Harry smiles then, kissing him softly as the door clicks open. Niall doesn’t want to move, he’s too comfortable tucked in close but Harry jostles back so he can look over to where Nick is hovering in the doorway, hair plastered against his forehead and his skin a rosy pink. 

“Sorry.” He sighs as he pads across the room and crawls onto the bed beside of them. Harry smiles widely at him, shaking his head and letting him burrow between them. 

“S’fine.” Harry mutters, sliding his hand across Nick’s chest so he can link with Niall over him. Nick looks over at Niall and he can read the guilt in his eyes. Harry tucks his head in close to Nick’s and sighs out, curling in close and staying there as he falls asleep. 

*

He’s stretched out across Harry’s bed, duvet draped low over his hips and still stuck between half asleep and awake. Harry’s lying beside him, bright eyed already but content to just lie and watch Niall wake up beside him. Niall’s woken up to Harry creepily watching him sleep before so he isn’t all that bothered that Harry’s hardly spoken to him in the twenty minutes they’ve been lying there. Nick had disappeared downstairs murmuring something about breakfast - too hyped because of his sleep schedule for this time of the morning in Niall’s opinion. 

Harry finally shuffles across the mattress to nose at Niall’s hair line, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Niall shifts so he’s facing him properly and he can curl a hand through the hair behind his ear. 

“Morning.” Harry breathes against Niall’s lips. Niall hums quietly, pulling him closer so he can finally kiss him, licking into his mouth slowly and pressing up against him. Harry rolls them over, slipping a leg between Niall’s and grinding lazily down on him. 

“Careful.” Niall gasps against him with a laugh, pecking at his lips before pulling away again. His knee is acting up again in the cold and Harry curses quietly under his breath before shifting a few inches to the side, just enough for Niall to move his leg up and out of the way. 

“Sorry.” Harry murmurs against him, bending to kiss him quickly. Niall just smiles at him and enjoys the way his eyes rake over him. Niall slides his hands down to settle at Harry’s hips, holding him close when he ducks down to kiss him again. 

Harry’s kissing sloppily down his jaw when there’s a shout from downstairs. Niall freezes under him, one hand on the curve of Harry’s arse and the other half way up his spine. 

“Harry!” Nick yells up the stairs. He sounds panicked. There’s a thump and then muffled voices. 

“What’s going on?” Niall whispers. Harry shakes his head, head cocked towards the door that’s lying half open. He can’t hear anything distinctive, only the mumbles of whoever is downstairs with Nick. They hear Nick laugh nervously before his name again and then footsteps coming up the stairs. 

“Harry?” Comes a different voice and Niall nearly dies on the spot. He flushes crimson and shrinks away from Harry on instinct. 

“Mum?” Harry squawks rolling off of Niall as fast as he can and scrambling for a pair of boxers on the floor. They’re not even his but he can’t pull them on fast enough. He flings a pair over his shoulder towards Niall before falling back onto the bed, shifting his hips and wriggling into them just as his mum rounds the corner and appears in the doorway. Niall doesn’t have enough time to pull them on, just yanks the duvet over his head and tries to melt against the mattress but it’s a lost cause. 

“What are you doing here this early?” Harry demands, Niall is lucky he can hear him over the blood rushing through his ears. His breathing is shallow, great puffs of air that’s making his chest heave and he knows in the back of his mind that there’s no point in trying to hide anymore. His knee aches or else he would’ve rolled right of the bed and hidden on the carpet. 

“I tried phoning.” Anne’s voice cuts through the duvet and thud of his heart. “Morning Niall sweetheart.” 

Niall’s stomach drops and he takes a deep breath, gathering courage before peeking up out of the duvet. 

“Morning Anne.” He mumbles and stares at the light on the ceiling because he can’t bear to look over at Harry’s mum smirking in the doorway. He keeps the duvet up around his neck, as if that will make her believe that he’s fully dressed under there. Harry looks dishevelled and Niall is sure that even from the small portion his mum can see of him that he looks the same. He tries not to catch Harry’s gaze but he can tell from the corner of his eye that he’s just as red as Niall feels. 

“So you just let yourself in?” Harry strops petulantly and reaches for a t-shirt on the rug. It’s Niall’s but he pulls it on anyway. Anne snorts at the state of him and shakes her head. 

“No dear, your boyfriend, or should I say one of your boyfriends let me in.” She laughs at Harry’s outraged face and slinks into the bedroom properly, pulling him into a hug and kissing his forehead. Niall hopes she doesn‘t attempt to kiss him too. “Now come on, he’s making you breakfast like a gentleman so we should go eat it.” She flicks her eyes over to Niall but to his relief makes no attempt to go nearer to him. “Niall get dressed love and maybe one of you can crack a window in here? Might make it smell a bit more sweet.” 

Harry flushes darker and Niall nearly dies of embarrassment. 

“Yeah.” He squeaks out and waits until Harry’s mum is long out the door before he even attempts to roll off the bed. 

“Oh God.” Harry mutters, closing the door with a snap and walking around the other side of the bed. He pushes the window open and Niall shivers in the cool breeze that whooshes into the room. “I’m never going to live this down.” 

Niall snorts quietly, bending over to grab underwear out of one of Harry’s drawers. He leans heavily against the wood so he doesn’t put any weight on his dodgy leg and manages to climb into them without falling over. Harry pulls on his hair for a moment before helping Niall into his clothes. 

“Nick’s going to be having a panic attack.” Niall tells him quietly. He wants to smile and make it a joke but at the bottom of his stomach he has a worrying doubt. Anne knowing about them is embarrassing to Niall but ultimately not really that much of a bother but he’s already beginning to worry that it will scare Nick away. 

“Oh God he will.” Harry agrees. He abandons helping Niall in favour of wrenching the bedroom door open and disappearing out it, calling Nick’s name. Niall laughs, pulling on a t-shirt before making his slow descent down the stairs as well. 

By the time he makes it to the kitchen Nick is dishing up breakfast with a shaky hand and Harry is glaring at his mum across the table. 

“This looks great.” She beams up at Nick who gives her a tentative grin back and sinks into the chair beside Niall. He grabs at Niall’s hand as soon as he can his fingers under the table and squeezes them tightly before he lifts his fork and stares resolutely at his plate. 

It takes Niall a moment to realise that Nick’s not wearing anything other than the frilly apron he bought Harry while the boys were still in New York. Niall chokes on his eggs, eyes flicking down to see Nick’s bare bum cheek on the seat beside him. He can feel the giggles making their way up his throat from his stomach and he’s nervous that he won’t be able to stop them. Anne smiles at him across the tea pot and he can’t help it, he laughs loudly. Harry glares at him and Nick smirks down at his plate. 

*

"Is this reaffirming your masculinity?" Nicks asks with a slow grin. He's wrapped in the lilac throw that is normally balled at the bottom of the sofa. Niall can see the hollow between his collarbones and lazily remembers how ten minutes ago he was lapping at the sweat gathered there. Harry barks a laugh and bends over the fireplace, poking at the fire to make it crackle and pop. Niall supposes he shouldn't be doing that semi naked but he's enjoying the view too much to tell him otherwise. 

"It's Christmassy!" Harry insists for the third time, trying not to smile through his pout.

Niall just smiles, too tired and wrung out to do anything other than mumble, "S'cozy."

Nick grins at him, prodding at his side with his toe before he wriggles his feet under Niall's body and keeps them there. Harry crawls across the expensive rug he bought last week and settles on his knees in front of them. 

They had decided to do Christmas - just the three of them - early because they all go off to their respective families for the real deal in the morning. Harry had demanded that they all gather in his living room, a scented candle making everything smell of cinnamon and his tree immaculately decorated in hues of crimson and gold. He pretended that he did it himself but Niall knows that his mum put it up before she went home. He had appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, Santa hat pulled low over his ears and humming Christmas songs. They had gotten as far as the second verse of _'All I Want For Christmas'_ before Harry was nipping at Niall's jaw and Nick was undoing his buttons.

"Are we going to do presents for real this time?" Harry asks leaning up onto the sofa, elbows propped up and his chin cradled in his palm. He turns his head to flutter his eyelashes over at Nick who only grins wider at him.

"I thought life altering blowjobs was my gift to you." Nick shrugs, pulling the throw tighter across his chest, it still doesn't cover him completely and there's a faint purpling mark on his shoulder where it's slipped. Niall isn’t sure which one of them gave it to him but it looks nice all the same. 

Harry's face turned outraged. "Hardly fair that only you and Niall got off then!" 

Nick shrugs and Niall can't help the smug expression that slips onto his face. Harry glares at him, reaching out to pinch at his thigh which makes Niall squirm away from him, pulling the blanket he's wrapped in up further round his body. It smells of Harry's shampoo and is soft against his skin.

"Fine fine." Nick relents when Harry has pouted long enough at him. Harry grins in response, pushing himself up to kiss him. He climbs onto the sofa between them and Niall is glad that he bought such a huge one to begin with. "We can do presents, where are they?" 

“It’s a treasure hunt.” Harry laughs breaking away from Nick’s mouth to pull Niall in closer to them so he can plant his lips on him too. Niall kisses him deeply, tongue licking and running along the back of his teeth. Knuckles brush across his abdomen and Niall shivers, breaking apart to catch his breath. 

“What sort of treasure hunt?” Niall asks him, scattering kisses across his cheek and nibbling on his ear lobe. He can hear the way Harry’s breath falters they’re pressed that close. He wraps an arm around his waist so he and Nick can pull him up onto the cushions beside them, sandwiching him in between them. 

“The naked kind?” Nick asks hopefully on his other side and Harry giggles, nodding his head before dropping it back onto Nick’s shoulder as Niall presses in so they’re lying chest to chest.

“Really?” Niall asks gleefully planting his knees on either side of Harry's waist. Harry laughs louder this time as Nick attaches his lips to his neck, pulling off the floppy Santa hat and throwing it behind them.

Niall trails his lips downwards, scooting along Harry's body until he can mouth at him through the thin fabric of his underwear. Harry lets out a quiet moan, coiling his fingers in Niall’s hair and bucking up to meet him. 

“I think Niall’s going to find it first.” He tells them between panting breaths. Nick snorts and goes back to sucking on his neck, hands running down his chest.

“Your gift to us is your dick?” Niall asks with a frown up at him. 

“Think very highly of yourself.” Nick murmurs, tipping Harry's head back so he can lick over his bottom lip. Harry whines into him, arching his back and pitching himself closer to Niall in the process.

“No you arseholes.” Harry scowls when they stop kissing. Niall’s biting his way down Harry’s stomach, peeling the waistband of his boxers down carefully. 

“Oh.” He breathes when he pulls the material down over the curve of Harry’s bum and he sees the swathe of cling film and cloth. “Another one Harry?” 

“Surprise.” Harry laughs. “Niall won.” Nick’s frowning over his shoulder at Niall, fingers poised at Harry’s hip, just skimming his skin. 

“What is it?” He asks quietly. Harry grins at him, there’s an excited glint in his eye along with arousal. 

“You can take it off.” He smiles down at him, his hand reaching out to cradle Niall’s jaw. Niall pulls it off carefully, Harry’s fingers coming down to help him. 

“It’s an English rose for you.” Harry tells Nick before turning to run his thumb over Niall’s jaw. “And an Irish harp.” 

Niall’s heart is beating very fast. Harry has loads of tattoos but this is the first one in a long while that actually means something. 

"I thought I'd get them there because no one will ever see them." Harry's breathing hard again but it's for an entirely different reason now, Niall can sense the nervousness in his voice. Nick is still staring at them as if he could see right through his skin so Niall nods to show that at least one of them are listening. "So it's private and not something that every single person on the planet knows." 

"That's very sweet Harry." Niall smiles up at him, crawling over his body so he can kiss him. Harry beams at him and turns towards Nick who still hasn't said anything. 

"Also it would be cheesy if I put them on my heart wouldn't it?" Harry asks with a small smile. "Nick." 

Niall holds his breath and swivels his head to look at him over Harry’s shoulder. 

"That's very thoughtful of you Harry." He says carefully and Harry's expression instantly falls. Niall wants to pull him into a protective hug but he makes himself sit still. The only noise between them for a moment is the sizzle of the fire before Nick smiles wider. "No it really is." Nick reaches forward and finally brushes his finger over the ink on Harry's hip. Harry smiles at him, looking placated and melting against him so they can kiss fiercely. 

"Do you really like it?" Harry asks again and Niall desperately wants him to drop it. He can see the wheels turning in Nick's head, how he's tensing away from them both already and he really doesn't want Harry to push him too far. 

"Yes." Niall answers for him, kneeling up onto his knees so he can steal Nick away from Harry and into a kiss of his own. Nick takes a moment to kiss him back but when he does he kisses him hard, clutching him round his shoulders and pulling him impossibly close. Harry laughs, sliding out from between them so Nick can pull Niall into his arms and then push him onto his back, settling into Niall's lap and licking deep into his mouth. 

"Typical." Harry huffs and plasters himself to Nick's back, rutting against him. "Feeling a bit left out now you know." 

Nick laughs into Niall's mouth, turning it into a low moan when Harry grinds down. Niall gasps at the weight above him, moving his hips up to meet Nick's before he's twisting away from so he can kiss Harry instead. 

"I'm going to wreck you." Nick growls against his lips, Harry whimpers in response below him and Nick makes quick work of his boxers, flinging them across the room. Niall lies still listening to Harry's moans as Nick sucks on him, fingers trailing down the ridges of Nick's spine until he can slide them over the curve of Nick's arse. He takes a moment, massaging them into muscle before he spreads him open and bends in closer. Nick gasps when Niall licks him. 

"Niall." He bites out a moan and breathes harshly into Harry's hip. Harry groans when he realises what's going on and Niall just grins into the flesh of his bum before he licks a broad stripe between his cheeks and wiggles the tip of his finger into him. Nick swears into the V of Harry's hips before pushing himself back up onto his elbows to go back to Harry. Niall licks around his finger, feeling Nick clench around him. Nick groans again rutting down into the cushions as Harry spills into his mouth. It only takes one more smacking kiss to his hole before he's coming too. 

Niall falls back onto the arm of the sofa, his legs are going numb from the weight on them but he can't work out which limb belongs to who and he can't be bothered moving. The warmth from the fire and the cinnamon is making him sleepy so he sinks down further and tries to ignore how Nick has slithered up and is kissing Harry at the other end of the sofa. 

"Niall's falling asleep." He hears Harry mutter between kisses. "We should go to bed." 

"Yes please." Niall mumbles and Nick laughs, rolling off the sofa and disappearing out the living room door. Harry gives him a sleepy grin, reaching out to tangle his fingers with Niall's and pull him off the couch. 

"Merry Christmas." He murmurs against Harry's shoulder. He's warm and soft and Niall can't help but curl in under his arm as they walk slowly up the stairs. Harry grins at him, pressing his lip to his temple and pushing him down onto the mattress. Nick is already there, curled into the pillows at the other end of the bed. Niall scooches closer to him but he doesn't respond. Harry crawls in beside him and snuggles in close, the distance between them and Nick is huge by comparison and he suddenly can't get to sleep. 

*

Niall's not sure what changes but something definitely doesn't feel right when they all get back to London after Christmas. They fall back into the routine they had been living in before the holiday but something‘s off between them. Nick’s mastered how to finally cook the linguine he loves and they eat it in front of crap TV and mostly in silence. They don’t see each other as much anymore even though Harry and Niall are still on a break until the end of January and Nick is still in London doing his show. 

It finally hits him one morning on the way to work that he's beginning to find out more about Nick's life through his radio show than actually hearing about it from him. 

"Knackered this morning so I am!" Nick cheerfully announces over the radio. "I was trying to be good and have an early night last night. After the weekend I had I thought, I’ll be good, I’ll make dinner and watch the end of Nigella in bed and go to sleep. And where did I end up? In a karaoke bar with half of Girls Aloud. Cheryl Cole had been banging on about their new single all night - wouldn’t shut up about it, so here it is, eight-double-one-double-nine and let me know what you think." 

"Did you know that?" Niall whispers to Harry. They're all piled into the van and on the way to a video shoot, it's just after seven and the other three are all asleep in the seat in front of them. Harry looks round at him sleepily, one ear bud hanging out of his right ear and the other is in Niall's. 

"No." He frowns. Niall and Harry had sat in last night, eating Chinese and playing Fifa until they passed out from too much food and not enough beer. Niall had assumed that Nick was at home because they were all getting up early in the morning. 

"Wouldn't he have invited you though?" Niall asks. Nick knows by now that Niall hardly goes to them so he never bothers to ask but it’s the type of thing that Harry goes to all the time. Nick normally likes to bring him along to see how many papers they get into the next day.

Harry shrugs and sinks further into the chair. The song on the radio ends and Nick's back, telling everybody what him and Nicola Roberts sang together the night before. Niall watches from the corner of his eye as Harry's eyes get narrower and narrower. 

"I'm going to sleep I think." He murmurs tugging the earphone out of his ear and curling round to face the window with his back firmly to Niall. Niall sighs, pushing the spare earphone into his own ear and swiping his palm across Harry's shoulders. He feels him take a shuddery breath and he has no idea if he's going to sleep or not but he doesn't turn round again until the car pulls to a stop outside the studio. 

*

Niall is on the cusp of sleep when he feels Nick shift behind him. There's a brush of lips against his shoulder before Nick slithers out of the bed. Harry moves a bit, spreading into the space between them but Niall can tell by his breathing that he's still fast asleep. Niall waits, paranoia welling up in his chest as the bathroom light flickers on and Nick disappears inside. Niall tells himself that he's just away to the toilet but in the silence of the night he can hear the tell tale rustle of denim and the jangle of bracelets as he gets dressed. The tap turns on and Niall gathers the courage to roll out of bed and confront him.

"Where are you going?" Niall whispers, trying to keep his voice down so Harry doesn't waken. Nick looks up, toothbrush half hanging out of his mouth. His eyes soften, taking in Niall's appearance.

He spits, taking his time to wash out his mouth before looking back up at Niall. 

"I forgot things I need at home." Nick tells him, eyes darting down to the tap that's still dripping into the sink. "It makes more sense to sleep there before getting up early for work." 

Niall nods because he's at a loss of what to say. _Don't go. Stop lying. Don't hurt Harry like this._ are the main thoughts circling his head but he doesn't know what to shout first. Nick's face falls when he next glances up at Niall.

"Please don't look at me like that." He pleads, striding across the bathroom to cradle his head in his hands. His thumbs brush over Niall's cheek bones and he can't help close his eyes. 

"I'm sorry." Nick whispers into his lips, pressing them together once and then again. "Niall, I'm so sorry." 

Niall swallows, his throat feels tight and Nick is still holding him close. 

"Just don't -" Niall breaks off, stepping out of Nick's grip and going back over to the door. "Harry doesn't deserve -"

Nick is nodding, eyes downcast and he at least looks ashamed of himself. "Niall." He murmurs but Niall shakes his head, already edging back into the bedroom. 

"I'm not the one who needs to hear it." Niall whispers over his shoulder. His heart is pounding when he slips back under the covers. The light clicks off and he can hear Nick padding through the bedroom to get into the hall. 

"Whasmatter?" Harry murmurs sleepily. Niall just pulls him in closer, pressing a kiss to his forehead and telling him quietly to go back to sleep. 

*

Nick waits a full week to tell them properly and Niall sort of hates him for it. He sits them down on the sofa in Harry's house, sitting himself on the edge of the coffee table across from them. He grabs Harry's hand and holds it on his knee. He reaches for Niall's too but Niall flinches away from him, he instantly regrets it when he sees the look that flashes across Nick's face. 

Even though he had been expecting it - it still stings. Harry makes a distressed sound from the back of his throat and clutches his free hand to his mouth. For a moment Niall thinks he's going to be sick but he just stares at Nick wide eyed and shakes his head. 

"Oh Haz." Nick croons leaning forward to pull Harry into a hug. He goes willingly, burying his head into Nick's neck and letting out a gasping sob. It twists at Niall's heart but all he can really do is pat at Harry's back and rub his palm over him soothingly. 

"But - " Harry mumbles into Nick's collar. He rolls his head round and Niall can see the way he looks up at Nick even though he mustn’t be able to see much because his jaw is in the way. His hand is twisting in his shirt like he's desperately trying to cling on and Niall just wants to gather him up against him and tell Nick to kindly fuck off. 

Except his chest sort of hurts because it feels too real - this is actually happening, Nick's going to go away and then he'll be gone and nothing will be the same again. There won't be any lazy Sundays in bed or messing around while they make dinner before X Factor starts. No more sneaking into the studio and hiding from the webcam between songs or pulling him down between them on the bed and slowly kissing over skin as it gets exposed. 

Nick's head snaps up when Niall lets out a whine from the back of his throat. Harry looks round too, as if remembering that he's there in the first place before he's clambering off Nick's lap to pull Niall towards them, into Nick's chest so he can hold them all together. Niall sighs into Nick's shoulder, arm holding him close and trying to memorize the way his arms feel around him.

"Why though?" Harry asks quietly after a few moments of just breathing. His voice is thick and his eyes shiny. 

"These things just happen Harry." Nick tells him, pulling back slightly so he can look down and meet his eyes. Niall doesn't look up, just keeps his focus on Harry's Adam's apple and watching the way it bobs when he swallows thickly. 

"I don't want them to happen." Harry whispers but the defiance in his voice is gone replaced with what sounds like defeat. Niall sniffs, pulling away before Nick can and sliding back onto the sofa opposite him. He looks at his shoes when Nick stands up, he can't bear to watch Harry following him around the house like a puppy as Nick gathers his things. He kisses Harry's forehead and trails his fingertips over the back of Niall's shoulder before the door clicks shut and he's gone.

Harry groans quietly in the silence before he sinks to his knees and rests his head on the corner of the coffee table. Niall doesn’t know what to do, Harry looks like he’s going to break if he touches him but he’s turning, suddenly crawling across the rug until he can fold himself into Niall’s nap. 

“It’ll be alright.” Niall says because he can’t think of anything else to say and that had been his mantra all week. He hoists him up until he's settled properly beside him up on the sofa again. Harry’s face screws up before he’s kissing him desperately. Niall lets him, kissing back just as urgently, clamping his hands to his hips and pulling him as close as they can get. Harry swings a leg over him and gasps into his mouth, biting and nipping along his lip and down his jaw until he can suck on Niall’s neck. They have another photo shoot in the morning but Niall doesn’t care, revelling in the tingling pain against his skin. 

"Niall." Harry gasps, pulling at the hem of his t-shirt. "Please." Niall hesitates, it's probably not the best idea but Harry still has glassy eyes and blown pupils so he lets him, ridding himself of his shirt before going to the hem of Harry's. Harry sighs in relief, kissing him hard and grinding down hard.

They've obviously done this before - just the two of them - but Niall can't help his mind wander, looking for Nick, waiting for another set of hands to be on him. It hurts to think about it, because its never going to happen again. 

Harry laps over his nipple, sending a shiver down his spine and pulling him back to the reality of the moment. He fists a hand in Harry's hair and pulls him up to kiss him again, making him groan into his mouth. 

"Please." Harry murmurs again getting to his knees so he can unbutton Niall's jeans and give him enough room to wiggle out of them. He rolls off him, falling across the sofa on to his back so he can strip off himself and Niall follows him once his trousers are past his ankles, settling between his thighs and breathing down on him. 

Harry looks desperate and Niall gets another feeling like he shouldn't be doing this but at the back of his mind he has a niggling thought that this might be the last time. He pushes that away because he doesn't want to think about that, doesn't want it to be true so he kisses up Harry's neck before meeting his lips. 

He can feel Harry hard against his hip and he's starting to rock up into him now, getting any friction he can find against him. Niall rolls his own hips and they both gasp into each others mouths. "What do you want?" Niall asks him quietly, hardly breaking their lips apart. 

"No time." He mutters, licking his own palm and sliding it between them so he can grab both of them. Niall shivers at the feeling of Harry, hot and hard against him and sinks closer to him, pulling him into a kiss and working an arm down between to help. 

Harry laces the fingers of his free hand with Niall's in an oddly sweet gesture and Niall can hardly look away from Harry's eyes until he blinks, eyelids fluttering shut and he's coming with a low groan over Niall's fist, Niall following him a moment later. 

They fall asleep on the sofa and Niall wakes up in the morning, face pressed into the corner of the arm and shivering in the cool morning air. Harry's already up, making a pot of tea with a frown on his face. He hardly says anything to him, just pours him a cup and walks off into the living room when Niall tries to hug him. 

He stays quiet all day during their rehearsals at the studio and the other boys frown at him when he says something out of the ordinary or doesn't laugh as loud at their jokes. He seems to go out of his way to avoid Niall so Niall lets him if it will make him feel better. Zayn pulls Niall to one side after they break for lunch to ask him what’s going on and Niall shrugs.

"Nick broke up with us." Niall mutters and pokes at his sandwich. He's not hungry at all but he feels like he should eat and set an example to Harry who is just sitting across the room from them, lunch unopened beside him as he scrolls through his pictures. He's torturing himself - Niall knows it but he can't find the words to make it better. 

"Oh." Is all Zayn says, pulling him into a tight hug and giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. He slips off towards Harry whispering something to Liam on the way. Niall watches as Liam sits down beside Harry, taking his hand in his own but they don't say anything the whole of the break. 

Niall follows Harry to his car out of habit when they're finished. Harry sighs, turning the radio up as he pulls out of the car park. He keeps his eyes on the road and doesn’t attempt to make any conversation until they reach a roundabout five minutes later. 

“I think I want to go home alone tonight.” Harry tells him quietly already taking the turn off for Niall’s flat. “We should probably take a break from each other right? If Nick’s not with us then we shouldn't be right? What’s the point.” 

Niall’s heart falls. This is worse than when Nick had done it. All day he had been trying to tell himself it was going to be ok. He still had Harry and now Harry was giving up too. 

“The point?” Niall asks and his voice sounds hollow to his own ears. “You don’t see a point.” 

Harry frowns as they wait at a red light. He still won’t look round at him and Niall can see how white his knuckles are on the steering wheel. 

“We all entered this together right?” He asks. “So if it’s over - it’s over.” 

Niall has to gasp, his chest is too tight to take a proper breath. He can see his building in the distance and he knows with a sense of finality that this is it. 

“I don’t want it to be over.” Niall sighs, reaching out to press his hand over Harry’s on the gear stick. “Just so you know. Just because Nick fucked off doesn’t mean I’m going to.” 

Harry nods and pulls into the drive way. He takes a deep breath and finally looks up at Niall. His eyes are distant and Niall feels his heart break a little. 

“I just don’t know what to do.” He tells him honestly and squeezes his eyes shut. He clears his throat roughly and blinks his eyes open. They look glassy and full of regret as he presses his lips to Niall chastely once before he’s pulling back and looking at the road again. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Niall’s too stunned to process anything over the stinging in his chest and the ringing in his ears. 

“See you later.” He murmurs, sliding out of the car and watching as Harry disappears down the driveway again. 

His house is freezing and the amount of post just in his front door tells him how long it has been since he had been home. He hadn’t really realised but as Nick had been distancing himself from the two of them Niall had somehow moved in with Harry. He switches on a lamp and sinks down into the armchair by the window with a sigh. It doesn’t feel like home anymore and he keeps thinking that Harry will walk through the door or Nick will drop in with that smile on his face that he just wants to kiss off. 

*

"Look." Liam heaves a sigh and sits down beside Niall with a concerned look. Zayn is hovering at his shoulder but looks like he would quite like to be somewhere else right this moment and Niall has a flood of dread to his gut because he could probably guess what this is going to be about. 

"Look." Liam attempts to start again and Zayn's eyes roll quickly in his head before he takes a deep breath and walks round to stare Niall down properly.

"I know we said that we wouldn't butt in." Zayn tells him bluntly. "But whatever it is that's happened between you two - fix it." 

Niall looks up at him open mouthed and Liam reaches out, palms open to soften Zayn's bluntness. 

"What he means - " Liam starts but Zayn cuts across him.

"What Liam means is that this isn't working. I don't like all this avoiding each other, do you know how weird it is these past few days?" 

"Yes I think I'm aware of how weird it's been." Niall bites out and Zayn's expressions finally soften. He instantly feels bad but Zayn can lack any amount of tact in the worst situations. He doesn't really need to be reminded how awkward it's been the past few days. They've been stuck in a packed schedule of promo and Harry had been doing his best to avoid all contact with Niall. 

"We think you should check on him." Liam suggests gently. "Louis says he hasn't been answering his calls lately and won't let him in the front door." 

Niall sighs quietly. He had been sort of expecting something like this to happen, Harry could wallow for days if he set his mind to it. He goes home to his own flat, mulling it over and thinking of what he could say to Harry to make it better. He's still in two minds when his phone rings and the number on the screen makes his heart stop.

"Hello?" Niall asks because it surely can't be Nick on the phone. 

"Hi Niall." Nick sighs. He sounds sad but there’s a determined edge to his tone. "How are you?" 

Niall clears his throat and thinks for a moment. Lonely, upset, still getting over it. He doesn't say any of these things though. "Ok. Just getting used to it." 

Nick's quiet for a moment. "Have you been looking after Harry?" 

Niall frowns. "What do you mean?" 

"I saw him today." Nick mutters. "He came to see me and he didn't seem himself. He was -" Nick pauses and Niall can hear him take a deep shuddery breath. "Very upset."

Niall's stomach sinks. That's the last thing he needs - Harry going to Nick and making everything ten times worse. 

"Oh." Niall answers after he realises he's been quiet far too long. "Sorry, I'll tell him not to do that." 

Nick sighs. "I just don't think he's taking it very well. Maybe you should go see how he is?" 

"Yeah." Niall breathes out because everyone else has made his mind up for him. "I will, I'll call round today." 

"Good." Nick breathes out relieved. "I - I still care about him, even though we're not doing this anymore, I still care about him and I still care about you." 

"I know." Niall answers automatically because if he thinks too much about Nick's words he might break. "And I do too. I'll make sure he's ok." 

"Ok." Nick breathes down the phone for a few more moments. "I'll see you around yeah?" 

"Yeah." Niall nods even though Nick can't see him. "I'll see you later." 

Niall clutches his phone to his ear for a long moment after he rings off before he hauls himself to his feet and calls a taxi. 

Harry's spread out across his huge sofa when Niall lets himself into the house. It's after six and the house is in darkness with only the flashing of the TV to help Niall not bash his shins on the coffee table that always seems to be in a different place every time Niall's in the living room. He clicks on the lamp and Harry whines, burying his head into the crook of his elbow. He's wearing a pair of ratty pyjama bottoms that Niall hopes didn't use to belong to Nick and his hair is a matted mess on the top of his head. 

"Are you alright Harry?" Niall asks cautiously his voice automatically coming out in a whisper. He crawls onto the sofa beside him and Harry immediately wraps his arm around his middle, bringing him in closer and twisting his hand in Niall's jumper. 

"No." He murmurs curling in further. 

Niall wants to tell him it‘s going to be ok, but he honestly doesn‘t even believe himself at this moment so he stays quiet and runs his fingers through Harry's dirty hair before resting his palm at the nape of his neck.

Harry lets out a shuddering sigh and looks up at him with squinting tired eyes. "I saw Nick today. I went to see him.”

"I know.“ Niall whispers, squeezing his neck and pressing a kiss to his forehead. Harry's face crumples and it pulls at Niall's stomach. He presses his lips to his skin again, it feels hot and clammy. 

They stay quiet for a while curled together and Niall listens as Harry's breathing finally evens out. 

"I don't like this." Harry finally whispers into Niall's throat. His lips brush over his skin and Niall tries not to shiver. "I miss you." 

"I miss you too." Niall smiles into his hair and cuddling him closer. Harry’s quiet again, breathing steadily into his neck. 

"Will you stay the night?" He asks shyly. Niall grins into his hair and squeezes his shoulder. 

"Of course I will.” He mutters listening to Harry’s breathing going unstable again. “I’ll do what ever you want.” 

*

“I’ve been thinking.” Harry whispers to him one lunchtime a few tense and awkward weeks later. They’re in a huge studio getting their pictures taken for an American teen magazine and Niall’s head already hurts from the bright lights they’re using. Harry drops down onto the coffee table in front of Niall and looks at him with wide eyes waiting for him to respond. 

“Yeah?” He asks tugging at his collar, it’s more Harry’s style but Niall doesn’t really care about what they look like in photos anymore. Harry nods and shuffles his hair about, fiddling with his fringe before looking back at him. Niall catches on to the fact that he’s nervous and stops eating his lunch, turning to look at him properly. 

“What’s up Harry?” He asks again and tentatively stretches his palm out for Harry to take if he wants it. He doesn’t but Niall hadn’t really expected him to, it’s been a while since Harry had properly sought out any physical affection from him. 

“I think I’ve been an idiot.” Harry mumbles shuffling closer so Niall can hear him but the others can‘t. Louis and Liam are mucking about a few feet away and Zayn is lounging in the sofa across the room, his own lunch balancing on his chest as he texts Perrie. He keeps flicking his eyes up to watch what’s going between Harry and Niall and it’s unnerving because it keeps catching Niall’s eye. 

“Yeah?” Niall frowns because he can’t think of Harry acting silly in the recent past. Harry fidgets again before reaching out certainly to grasp Niall’s still open palm. Niall jolts at the gesture but grips his hand back just as tight. 

“I was an idiot. I was so wrapped up in all my feelings and the fact that it was Nick leaving that I forgot about you and that you were still there.” Harry gasps. It’s as if he can’t get all the words out fast enough. He scoots closer on the table so their knees are pressed firmly together. “And I know that I said I didn’t think I could do it without him but I miss you a lot more than I miss him. I miss going to sleep beside you and waking up with you there. Even though we see each other everyday _I miss you_.”

Niall’s frozen for a moment and Harry chews on his lips waiting for his response. 

“Niall. Please say something.” Harry urges him, shaking their joined hands but not letting go. Niall blinks. He’s distantly aware of Liam and Louis off to his left and how they’ve stopped play fighting to watch them. Harry must not have been as subtle as he had hoped. 

“This isn’t just some loneliness thing is it?” Niall can’t help but ask because he doesn’t want to go down that road again with Harry for him to leave again.

Harry’s face twists. “No.” He promises. “It’s not like that all. It’s because I miss you and I love you and I hate not being with you.” 

Niall slowly pushes his thighs apart so Harry’s knees can fit between them and Niall can pull him closer. Harry’s solemn face cracks into a watery smile. 

“I love you too.” Niall whispers to him and pulls him close so he can kiss him. Harry melts into him and it feels incredibly sweet. Niall hardly notices how the other boys all erupt in cheers.

“Thank fuck.” Louis sighs. “Maybe Harry will stop moping around my house all day now.” 

Harry shakes his head with a quiet laugh, his eyes twinkle as he looks at Niall before he pulls him into a tight hug. 

“I’m so sorry.” He whispers but Niall doesn’t respond he just hugs him tighter. 

*

*

Harry looks uneasy as they wait in the waiting room. Through the glass they can see Nick and his whole team, they're laughing at something and Niall can’t take his eyes off Nick’s face. He hasn’t seen in him a few weeks but he looks good. 

“I’m going to be sick.” Harry murmurs edging away from the window and going over to hover near the door. He’s still within arms reach so Niall reaches over and hooks his hand around his elbow. 

“You’ll be fine.“ Niall mutters back but doesn’t turn away from the window. He knows that Harry’s nervous, he lay in bed and listened to him toss and turn the whole night. Louis, Zayn and Liam are pretending not to watch them but Niall can see their over the top casual glances over at them. Niall says nothing, lets them look and gives Harry's elbow one last squeeze. 

“Just imagine him naked.” Liam suggests reassuringly. Niall’s eyes flash over to him. “Mum always tells me to do that.” 

“How is that going to be any help?” Niall asks. He’s caught between being irritated and amused by Liam’s suggestion. 

“I don’t have to imagine it do I?” Harry asks but he’s smiling now. Liam flushes crimson and Zayn claps a hand down on his shoulder.

“Easy mistake Liam.” He mutters, trying to hide his smirk and turns back to address Harry. “But he has a point, maybe if you were turned on then you wouldn’t be nervous.” 

Harry rolls his eyes while Louis snorts. Niall doesn’t know how to react to that so he shuffles closer to Harry and watches as Fiona opens the door with a cheery smile. 

“Come on in guys.” He smiles at them all in turn, eyes lingering on Niall and Harry. It makes him feel more nervous because she’s one of the few that probably knows exactly what went on - all three of them made out enough times in random corridors at Radio One - someone had to catch on.

They're ushered through the door and Harry takes a deep breath, pushing himself to the front of the queue and heading in first. Niall sees him go straight for the hug, quick and easy before he's leaning back. He goes to walk away but Nick grabs his wrist, keeping him at his side while he gives Louis a half hug with his free hand and then turns to Niall. 

Nick gives him a fond smile, there's a hint of nerves hidden behind it though and it eases some of Niall’s own nervousness as he goes in for a hug too. 

"It's really good to see you." Nick whispers into his ear as soon as he's moulded to his chest. Niall sort of sinks into it, the easy familiarity of it making him forget anyone else is in the room. 

"You look really good." Niall responds, pulling back, throwing him a quick grin before glancing at Harry who is looking apprehensive again. Niall feels the back of his neck prickle under the eyes of the other boys along with most of Nick’s team as they wait to see what will happen between them. 

"A little bird told me that you two are still together?" Nick asks quietly. Harry laughs, stepping in close so his shoulder is brushing against Nick's and he can hook his little finger into Niall's. Nick glances down and his eyebrows raise. It makes Niall feel warm that he’s impressed. 

"You jealous?" Harry asks, smirk making his comment challenging. “Regretting leaving us?”

There’s a tense moment where Niall doesn’t know how Nick’s going to react. He can hear Liam suck in a breath from behind him but Nick just grins, shaking his head and stepping back so the conversation is not strictly between the three of them anymore.

“Of course I am Styles.” He grins and cocks his head at Niall giving him a short grin. 

“It’s sickening really.” Liam comments and goes in for his greeting hug. Nick laughs and Harry wraps an arm around Niall's shoulder, thumb brushing at the skin of his neck and making his stomach flutter. He gives Niall a private smile before sliding away to go over and stand on the other side of Louis. Nick hugs Zayn and steps back behind his desk. He takes a deep breath, flashing Niall and Harry a final grin before he‘s sliding the fader up and introducing them on to the radio.


End file.
